Rédaction Africa Links 24 with lexpress
Published on 2024-04-11 02:45:00
The cobalt therapy center in Befelatànana will welcome patients next week. The machine, which has been out of order for a month, has been repaired.
After a month of inactivity due to a technical failure, the cobalt therapy at the Joseph Ravoahangy Andrianavalona University Hospital (CHUJRA), located in Befelatànana, is once again operational. “Some parts broke down. They have been replaced. We are conducting a quality control this week. We will resume our activities starting next week,” said a source at the cobalt therapy center on Tuesday.
This is good news for cancer patients. “Radiotherapy sessions must be carried out daily. So, we are forced to undergo this treatment in a private clinic while waiting for the one in Befelatànana to function. However, the cost at this clinic is very expensive,” said a patient’s relative.
This cobalt radiotherapy center is the only public radiotherapy center. With costs much more affordable than those offered by private clinics (Editor’s Note: 300,000 Ariary per session, according to the testimony of a relative of a woman with cervical cancer), the vast majority of patients prefer to undergo cancer treatment at this cobalt therapy center. According to our source, about thirty new patients are registered there each month. A patient can undergo five to thirty-five sessions depending on the stage of the disease.
Functional
This cobalt therapy center became operational three years ago. After being closed in 2009, it was reopened in February 2021. However, the machine quickly experienced malfunctions and could not meet the high demand at this public hospital.
To relieve this burden and make radiotherapy more financially accessible to a larger number of patients, the opening of another radiotherapy center is planned at CHUJRA. The building that will house the Bunker, following the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Madagascar’s partner in this project, is already erected behind the main multi-story building of CHUJRA, on an area of 400 m2.
Equipment, which is provided by the IAEA, is expected to take care of this. According to the agreement between the two parties. It has also been announced that this radiotherapy center at CHUJRA should be operational in 2020. Four years later, this project still seems to be on hold.
Miangaly Ralitera
Read the original article(French) on lexpress.mg
