Uganda to become the second country in Africa to acquire True Beam Linear accelerator technology used in managing Cancer, with the technology expected in the country in March this year.
Speaking to the Nile Post, the Executive Director Uganda Cancer Institute Dr Jackson Orem intimated that this will not only cut down on referrals abroad but also improve case management of cancer.
With construction works of the new bunker nearing completion plans are under way to equip the new bunker with a linear accelerator true beam machine.
According to Dr Orem, the machine will become the third at the institute and expected to improve on managing cancers.
He explains that it's capacity is way above the Cobalt 60 machine they are currently using at the institute
Dr Orem says this will also reduce referrals abroad for radiotherapy. In the past patients sought care in South Africa as the only African country known to possess linear accelerator technology.
The institute has embarked on training specialists to use the new technology. The specialists will be trained in countries like India and South Africa ahead of the launch of the machine in March 2019.
According to Dr Orem, the linear accelerator will focus on giving radiotherapy to cure other than managing cancers as has been the case and will cost 4 million US dollars.
True Beam rotates around your body to deliver radiation therapy from nearly any angle. The system provides real-time imaging, which allows your doctor to direct higher doses of radiation with greater accuracy.
In the other news, the cancer institute will be using another machine donated by the Indian government a cobalt 60 machine.
Dr Orem noted that the machine has a capacity of 150 patients, meeting demands for services for both local and international patients.
