Mozambique transfers cancer service to another hospital

Amozambican authorities have provisionally transferred oncology services to another health unit in Maputo to continue treatment, after the fire that destroyed the old infrastructure, the government announced today.

The measure was presented today, in Maputo, by the Mozambican Minister of Health, Ussene Isse, who said that the oncology services currently operating in the Dermatology services of the Central Hospital of Maputo, due to the recent incident that destroyed the largest infrastructure of the genre in the country, are being transferred to the General Hospital of Polana Caniço, in the capital of the country.

With this measure, oncology services will start operating in the old facilities where he formerly operated the Covid-19 infirmary in that hospital unit.

“ We are creating conditions for everything to be created so that we have there, provisionally, the Oncology services, to continue with the treatments ", said Ussene Isse.

The fire occurred on November 1, at the Oncology Service of the Maputo Central Hospital (HCM), Mozambique's only hospital, which had 22 patients hospitalized, removed in time, with no record of victims, according to information advanced at the time by the government.

Today, the Health Minister asked for support from partners and different actors for the reconstruction of infrastructure, in order to restore dignity to patients who seek in those services the solution of their diseases.

“ We are leading this process here so that we can move a little quickly towards the short-term reconstruction and restoration of oncology and radiotherapy services,” he said.

In view of the current situation, in which cancer and trauma are the two biggest diseases that take away human life, the Minister of Health assured that authorities are studying the possibility of modernizing cancer services, which include integrating nuclear medicine into the new infrastructure.

“ So once again, we want to ask everyone to cooperate on this national agenda. This is a high priority that the country has in the coming years. And we would ask for the collaboration of each one”, said Isse, clarifying that collaboration includes goods, ideas and money.

“ Logically, we want money, no doubt, to do things. But there are also other contributions we can make to be part of this national agenda ", stressed.

While oncology services continue to be provided in an annex to the HCM, the largest unit in the country, with treatment interventions, either ambulatory or internment, the minister asked to speed up work to replace the radiotherapy apparatus.

Among other measures to ensure the improvement of oncology services, in addition to their expansion, the Mozambican Government studies the need to build a National Institute of Oncology for Mozambique.

Of the 22 patients admitted at the time of the fire, 12 were discharged, while the rest remained under medical supervision. At the same time, the services maintain the daily care of about 90 outpatients and consultations.

The Mozambican Government has set up a cancer patient support unit after the fire to welcome patients in need of hospitalization and outpatients.

A service office was also established for users and family members affected by the situation, whose contacts will be released later, Isse announced earlier.

During the fire, fire intervention prevented the flames from spreading to other areas, including the ground floor, where the radiotherapy service operates.

The fire has not reached the bottom of the underground shelter where the linear accelerator is located, but radiotherapy equipment is sensitive to heat and energy, so the damage continues to be assessed by experts.