Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals has conducted more than 3 000 radiotherapy sessions since the resumption of services in June this year, providing a more affordable treatment option for patients.
Radiotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses beams of intense energy to kill cancer cells. It is used to treat at least 50 percent of all cancer cases and it relieves pain by shrinking the cancer cells. Without radiotherapy machines, cancer patients experience a lot of pain.
Head of the radiotherapy department at Parirenyatwa hospital Dr Nothando Mutizira said the hospital had initiated 45 patients per day on the machine since June.
"We are very happy that we have managed to continue to offer radiotherapy services since our first machine was up. So ever since that time, we have managed to give more than 3 000 radiotherapy sessions up to now. And at the moment, we are now treating at least 45 patients per day," she said.
Since the resumption of services, the hospital has been gradually adding patients to the machine starting with the more urgent cases to avoid overwhelming the machine and the available radiotherapy technicians.
At its peak, the radiotherapy machine can take up to 60 patients per day.
Dr Mutizira said many cancer patients come late to health facilities, which was contributing to the poor health outcomes.
"We encourage patients to see their doctor early. If there is anything abnormal going on in their bodies, they should go and see a healthcare provider as soon as possible so that they can get treated early. And as far as cancer is concerned, where screening services are available, we also encourage patients to go and get screened.
"Screening is a form of testing that is done on patients who don't have any symptoms. We want patients, when they are still fit, to go and access those services so that we can pick these cancers before they are advanced, and while we still have many treatment options that we can offer for the best chances at survival," she said.
Parirenyatwa had last offered radiotherapy services in 2022 when all three machines broke down, forcing hundreds of patients to turn to private healthcare for the critical service.
However, radiotherapy in the private sector can cost more than US$5 000 depending on the stage of the disease, a figure which most Zimbabweans cannot afford.
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Cancer patients at the hospital expressed their gratitude to the Government for ensuring that they access affordable treatment.
Said Mrs Dorothy Mabira, a patient on radiotherapy: "When I started experiencing stomach pains, I didn't know what was happening but I quickly went to see a doctor and they examined me and found that I had a tumour in my intestines. Scans were done and I was operated on. I am receiving treatment and I am recovering well."
She encouraged Zimbabweans to always seek medical treatment for any unexplained symptoms. "Sometimes we might mislead each other because of lack of knowledge but it is important to seek treatment early because we can fight cancer," Mrs Mabira said.
Another patient, Mr Silas Mandimutsira, said he was also recovering well after receiving treatment. "I am currently under treatment for oesophageal cancer. I was diagnosed in February and I didn't take the news very well. But I realised that I had to accept it for me to start healing. The treatment that I am getting here has helped me. When I got here, I was in a bad state and now I have improved. I am now on my fourth cycle of chemotherapy treatment and I feel much better," he said.
Mr Mandimutsira will undergo radiotherapy once he completes his chemotherapy sessions.
