Government to buy cancer machine says Museveni
President Yoweri Museveni speak at a past event.
What you need to know:
- The President’s statement, however, was not specific on when the cancer equipment would be bought.
Kampala. President Museveni has said Uganda will buy a new cancer radiotherapy equipment from Varian Medical Systems Global Government, a leading manufacturing company based in the United States.
The President’s statement, however, was not specific on when the cancer equipment would be bought.
According to a statement released by State House on Friday, the government will also provide a grant to the manufacturer to train young Ugandan professionals in cancer and oncology treatment.
President Museveni, according to the statement, made the revelation while meeting Mr Andrew Whitman, the vice president of Varian Medical Systems Global Government. “Uganda will pay for the cancer machines and also provide a grant to Varian Medical Systems to train young Uganda professionals on their use,” Mr Museveni said.
He added: “What is important is to recruit young people and send them on government sponsorship for bio-medical training.”
He was responding to a proposal by Mr Whitman on how to finance and procure such equipment, which he said was very capital intensive.
The company manufactures radiotherapy, radiosurgery, protontherapy, brachytherapy and radio surgical devices, software for treating cancer and other medical condition.
About 2,000 cancer patients in Uganda have spent months without treatment following the breakdown of the country’s only Cobalt 60 Machine in April.
In an interview with Sunday Monitor, Dr Jackson Orem, the director of the Uganda Cancer Institute, said he had not been briefed about Uganda buying cancer equipment.
(NMG)
