Source: Parirenyatwa boosts cancer services – herald
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
PARIRENYATWA Group of Hospitals is intensifying efforts to improve cancer care in the country, with two of its three linear accelerators now fully functional and plans under way to acquire additional machines to expand treatment capacity.
The radiotherapy centre, which reopened last year after a two-year shutdown caused by equipment breakdowns, is now treating up to 90 patients a day.
This marks a significant turnaround for a facility once paralysed by technical failures, as it works to clear a backlog of patients waiting for life-saving care.
Head of the radiotherapy centre, Dr Nothando Mutizira, said the hospital can once again offer the full suite of services available at the facility, from chemotherapy and brachytherapy for gynaecological cancers to external beam radiotherapy for a range of cancer types.
“We are offering all the services that are available at Parirenyatwa Radiotherapy Centre. The centre has three linear accelerators,” she said.
“Of these, two are currently working, and those are the ones we are using to treat our patients at the moment. We also have two brachytherapy units and one of them is working at the moment.”
Cancer remains a pressing public health challenge in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry records over 7 000 new cases each year, a figure believed to be understated due to under-reporting.
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women, while prostate cancer is the most common among men.
Radiotherapy, a key treatment for many cancers, is available only in Harare and Bulawayo, although the machines at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo are currently not operational.
This concentration of services in the capital has left thousands of patients across the country facing long waits for treatment.
“Parirenyatwa Radiotherapy Centre receives a large volume of cancer referrals; we are receiving patients from all over Zimbabwe, because this is the only centre currently offering radiotherapy services,” Dr Mutizira said.
“Because of the large volumes, it’s been a lot of work for us to try and manage the backlog, which is still rather significant. But our hope is that once we have radiotherapy machines at Mpilo Hospital, that will relieve some of the pressure. There are active plans by the Ministry of Health and Child Care to purchase new linear accelerators to replace the ones that we are currently using.”
While daily patient numbers have climbed to 90, some still wait for nearly two months for an appointment.
Staffing shortages in the radiotherapy department have compounded the challenge.
Only 12 radiographers and three medical physicists are on duty, less than half of the nearly 30 radiographers available when the centre operated at peak capacity.
The reduced workforce carries an immense daily workload.
“Based on the discretion of the oncologists using our standard operation procedures and clinical guidelines, patients assigned to radiotherapy will be given a date depending on the urgency of the condition,” said Dr Mutizira.
“Patients with oncological emergencies may actually receive their radiotherapy immediately, while those with less urgent cases are then given a date for when to come for radiotherapy.”
For many patients, the improved services have been transformative.
Mrs Laina Dama, from Murombedzi, began treatment in February.
“I started getting treatment here when I was diagnosed in February and I have been getting good service here,” she said.
“I want to encourage other people to quickly get medical care whenever they suspect that they have a medical issue.
“In the past, it was difficult to get cancer treatment but now it is easily accessible. If you get diagnosed early chances of survival are more.”
Mrs Ottilia Chembe, from Chinhoyi, was diagnosed last year at Chinhoyi Hospital and referred to Parirenyatwa.
“I started receiving treatment last year in October. I got an operation, then went on chemotherapy and I am now on radiotherapy. The services we are receiving here are good,” she said.
For Harare resident, Mrs Esther Nyamuzanaka, early treatment has made all the difference.
“I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in February, and I have seen a change since I started receiving treatment. I realised that seeking treatment early is important because I am regaining my health.
“I am now on social welfare so I have not been paying for the services I get here. I want to encourage others to quickly seek medical care so that they can survive cancer,” she said.
Once Parirenyatwa operates at full capacity and Mpilo Hospital’s radiotherapy unit is revived, thousands more Zimbabweans are expected to gain timely access to life-saving cancer treatment, a development that could alter the country’s cancer survival landscape.
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