The Saga of the New Cancer Machine of Mulago was not a two-year scheme!

Let’s be honest and clear, the story of the Cobalt 60 Teletherapy Machine from the mid-90s, who was not sufficient and had not been changed within time. Was not a two-year long waiting period of nostalgia, it was mismanagement with the cost of lives and devastation. Any government caring about lives, would have planned and made sure of funding for a new one, long ahead, especially considering the last one was bought in the mid-1990s. This is the true acts of maladministration and misuse of state reserves. That is evident, and also that the Ministry of Health, who only had one these, couldn’t make sure the procurement went softly and made sure the facilities could be fixed in time to put in a new machine. Even if it matters of lives and people’s serious treatment.

Only two year?

“After almost two agonising years of waiting, cancer patients will breathe a sigh of relief after the new radiotherapy machine arrived into the country this week. It was shipped from Czech Republic through Mombasa port with guidance of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a United Nations body that regulates use of nuclear and atomic energy. Purchased at 642,000 euros (more than Shs2.7b) by both government and IAEA, the machine replaces the old cobalt 60 radiotherapy machine, which broke down beyond repair on March 27, 2016, leaving about 2,000 patients without proper treatment and some people died in the process” (Ainebyoona, 2017).

What about 2013:

Because I have a letter dated back to IAEA from Dr. Byahagaba from 28^th May 2013, where the funding of 325,297 Euros was deposited to the UniCredit Bank, Austria, Vienna on the 22^nd May 2013. This was funding for the purchase of Cobalt 60 Teletheraphy Machine. Therefore, the Daily Monitor or the Mulago Health Care Complex has given som wrong information.

If not the final instalment for the purchase of the machine has come in the aftermath, which is a significant sum of monies, since it is 315,000 Euros that has appeared and made sure the buying of the machine finally appeared.

This sort of acts should not let it go easily, that a state with millions of lives, that are in-charge of making sure their citizens are healthy. Only has one Cancer Machine and that one has been out of function for two years, and it took about at-least 4 years, since 2013 to be able to purchase the equipment and use it for the public benefit. Clearly, the National Resistance Movement (NRM). Isn’t worried about losing their citizens or making sure the health is in check. Surely, the do not worry, since the President sends his own kin abroad to give birth. He knows the meagre state of the facilities of where he has resided and run. He eats the reserves and leaves scraps behind. The evidence in the 4 years in the making of the Cancer Machine. It is good it is there, but the time and effort is mediocre at best. Nearly depleted and destructive, as the concern of the cancer wasn’t even there. Peace.

Reference:

Ainebyoona, Mmanuel – ‘New Cancer Machine finally arrives into the Country’ (12.08.2017) link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Sigh-of-relief-as-Shs2-7b-cancer-machine-arrives/688334-4054904-vf8309/index.html

More on the Mulago Cancer Institute issues; the racketeering has new excuses!

This here would be spin-doctors spinning the doctors and showing the surface to the world and the expenditure of not procuring the necessary tools for the Health Care workers on the Kings Hospital of Mulago. That story seems to have legs and straight after the general election, so steady regress it is.

First Update:

“Fellow Ugandans, let’s try to get facts right. The Cobalt-60 machine was bought. It is awaiting construction of the bunker(the room to house it). Earlier statements that there are no funds to purchase the machine did not come from us. What is at stake now is the construction of the bunker. You may wonder why this machine cannot be housed in the current space. This space was assessed by IAEA and found that it is not suitable to house the machine. However fundraising for another machine is a good idea. The procurement process for the bunker construction has already started. In the meantime, other machines such as HDR bracytherapy machine are under use and other services are still on going” (Uganda Cancer Institute, 10.04.2016).

Second Update:

“Dr. Orem the director of Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) has assured Ugandans that cancer treatment has not stopped but just one of the machines used in treatment of Cancer has stopped. Cancer treatment is done in combination. Cancer can be treated comprehensively. Our capacity has been deminished by a small percentage. Minister Tumwesigye says that the dead machine will only slow down treatment by 20 percent but cancer institute will be getting shs 41.billion next financial year from shs. 17bn. You dont just walk and buy the machine like a scanning machine” (Daily Monitor, 10.04.2016).

That alters the information from two days ago from the same doctor:

“Cancer patients receiving radiotherapy treatment at Mulago hospital may have to wait until next year when the new cobalt 60 radiation machine will be installed, after the old one broke down three weeks ago. According to Dr Jackson Orem, the director of Cancer Institute at Mulago hospital, it may be difficult to repair the radiotherapy machine, procured in 1995, to render efficient results” (EA BIZ INFO, 08.04.2016).

From the MPS Ministry of Health Report 2013/2014:

“The Committee noted the tremendous work registered by the Uganda Cancer Institute. However, the Committee learnt that the genuine cost of cancer treatment – chemotherapy was not known to the majority of the people, including the patients, thereby creating space for unscrupulous people to cheat patients. The Committee was informed by the Director Uganda Cancer Institute that chemotherapy treatment was free of cost, except that patients were charged 30,000 for the bed per night” (MPS P: 52, August 2013).

In the Annual Health Sector Performance Report of 2012/2013 stated this:

“Remodeling existing facilities and completion of the construction and operationalization of the new cancer ward” (…)”The remodeling of TB was finalized to accommodate patients originally from the Lymphome Treatment Centre ward. Relocated and remodeling the Laboratory, the Solid Tumor Centre ward and set up a temporally kitchen. Continued with the construction of the six floors Cancer Ward and during this FY, Plumbing Electrical installation and fitting were completed” (Annual Health Sector Performance Report of 2012/2013 P: 49).

So somebody is not telling the whole story, if not they did and then they changed to fit with the Racket of Don Museveni, which leads the Government and appoint the Health Ministry. This here saga is not over. Certainly somebody has not done their duty and their job since the machinery at Mulago Hospital Complex is not yet there, and they are using broken down machinery from 1995. 20 Years of steady service and not much upgrades takes its toll on the equipment. The worst thing is the see the spin-doctors and the words coming out; how the Doctor Jackson Orem is changing his words within 60 hours. That says something about the power of the Ministry of Health, not about his character as a doctor and a civil servant. Peace.