AfricaPress-Tanzania: OCEAN Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) will this year acquire a most advanced PET CT Scan in the sub-Saharan region after the government disbursed 14.5bn/- for purchasing the machine for cancer diagnosis.
ORCI Executive Director, Dr Julius Mwaiselage, said Friday that the government had already deposited the money into ORCI’s account for purchasing the machine.
He noted that the institute had already consulted a contractor for the construction of a building where the machine would be installed.
“This is the first time ever for ORCI to have such a machine and will be of profound significance to cancer treatment in the country and sub-Saharan Africa,” Dr Mwaiselage told the ‘africa-press’ in Dar es Salaam yesterday.
He said besides cancer treatment services, the new modern PET CT Scan would have economic benefits to the country because ORCI would also attract patients from outside the country who would seek PET CT Scan services from ORCI.
This machine has the capacity to diagnose cancer status while other machines cannot.
He revealed this during an event to receive a donation of a modern ultrasound machine from the Aga Khan Hospital under a project known as Tanzania Comprehensive Cancer Project (TCCP). The event was in conjunction with the launch of a new logo for the project.
The 115m/- ultrasound machine is expected to boost cancer diagnosis at ORCI, with Dr Mwaiselage noting that the institute’s diagnostic capacity would increase from 50 to 80 patients a day.
“This is because we will reduce time for patients to wait for ultrasound services from 48 hours to 24 hours,” he explained.
He said the institute had been cooperating with its stakeholders in improving cancer diagnosis and treatment in the country.
Programme Manager for Non-communicable Diseases in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Omary Ubuguyu, said February was specifically for emphasising fight against cancer.
He noted that the government had improved health services in the country, which had helped to save the lives of Tanzanians who could be referred to overseas hospitals for the type of diagnosis and treatment that could be accessed in the country.
He called on the media to sensitise members of the public on the importance of early cancer diagnosis.
For his part, TCCP project manager, Dr Harrison Chuwa, said the project meant to reduce cancer burden through increasing capacity and expanding services in the country.
