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Dr David Parirenyatwa

Thandeka Moyo, Chronicle Reporter
THE Radiation Protection Authority of Zimbabwe (RPAZ) has licensed one of the two departments at Mpilo Central Hospital’s Cancer Unit in a development that authorities say will result in the institution opening within weeks.

Mpilo Central Hospital clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said once open, the cancer unit, which has been closed since 2000, will reduce treatment costs for people who were forced to travel to Harare or outside the country seeking medical services.

“A lot has been done towards the opening of our cancer unit which will be done in a few weeks’ time. The Radiation Authority Protection of Zimbabwe inspected the nuclear medicine department and licensed us to start operating that department,” said Dr Ngwenya.

“Since the unit is made up of two departments, the RPAZ said we had to adjust our doors and finish painting the radiotherapy department to avoid radiation leakages. That is the only hold up we have now.”

He said the hospital was already working on adjusting the doors to pave way for licensing.

“We won’t take long in completing the tasks. After that RPAP will come for their final inspection and then give us a green light to operate the whole unit,” Dr Ngwenya said.

He said the vital life-saving therapy at the unit will bring relief to patients who incur extra costs travelling.

“People from this region have had to travel to Harare and other areas because we could not treat them. We are confident that in a few weeks, they will access all those services from our cancer unit,” Dr Ngwenya said.

Recently, the Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr Samuel Parirenyatwa, toured the cancer unit and emphasised the need to make it safe for patients, hospital staff and members of the public.

“If there are radiation leakages from the radiotherapy department, people will be exposed to cancer and other grave health conditions. Radiation consists of several types of subatomic particles that shoot through space at very high speeds. They can easily penetrate deep inside the human body, damaging some of the biological cells which the body is composed of,” said Dr Parirenyatwa.

“This damage can cause fatal cancers, or if it occurs in reproductive cells, it can cause genetic defects in later generations of offspring. It’s a long process with a lot of regulations that have to be followed at all costs.”

-@thamamoe