The government, through Health Minister Sylvia Masebo, has revealed plans to facilitate the treatment of cancer patients requiring radiotherapy in Tanzania. The initiative aims to ensure patients’ access to treatment during the rehabilitation phase of the Cancer Diseases Hospital.
Addressing Parliament, Minister Masebo affirmed that while the procurement process is in progress, no patients have been dispatched to Tanzania for treatment. The impending arrangements are anticipated to cover various costs associated with the treatment, including transportation, accommodation, meals, and the radiotherapy itself. The estimated cost per patient for the treatment course is approximately US$4,500.
The selection and referral process will be diligently managed by an ad-hoc committee at the University Teaching Hospital in collaboration with the Cancer Diseases Hospital. This collective effort aims to assess patients and make recommendations for their referral to Tanzania.
The Ocean Road Cancer Institute has shown its willingness to accommodate an additional 40 Zambian patients, in addition to the patients they are already treating. This collaboration is a significant step in ensuring that Zambian patients receive the necessary treatment during the rehabilitation period of their local medical facilities.
The treatment itself spans six to seven weeks, implying that patients will be evacuated to Tanzania every two months, ensuring a continuous treatment cycle until the Cancer Diseases Hospital is fully operational.
Very shameful..under5 clueless about governance…Why do you want another term!
What has been done during the period other govts.
I believe we can have theses services here in Zambia.. where is the issue here.
government must open hands to other health services providers from abroad to invest in health.
laws etc in Zambia are making it difficult investor to put in place specialized services.
How many CT are available in the country?
lets open up and liberalize the country….
I ask this question…… If you entering zambia by road,,, how does it take to clear at the zambia side … we need to look at all those issues.
Health should not only be left to government alone please
It’s like owning a car but you don’t have a clue on how to drive it so you rely on a driver. Zambia is a country of opportunists. We think we can buy our way through things without first understanding them. This is the same country that wants to play around with nuclear reactors but can’t manage hospital equipment. We need to get serious bane.
40 patients x $4,500 per patient = $180,000. Why not use the money to buy equipment?
Or maybe Zambia is too rich and can afford that chunk of money. But why Tanzania? Is it because she was allowed to address parliament? Were we not told that Ndola will have a cancer hospital? Can’t we have a makeshift structure until the Lusaka one is refurbished? Unless you want to go on a tourism vacation to Dar at Kariakoo. Please escort those patients.
Zambia ku Chalo.
But what is wrong with the current equipment