BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Government has allocated an amount of E20 million to acquire a facility that will be used to treat cancer patients.
This transpired yesterday (Monday, August 5, 2024) when Minister of Health Mduduzi Matsebula revealed that Government planned to acquire this facility to fight the spread of cancer in the country. According to information from the Ministry of Health, the E20 million will be raised during the current financial year.
This initiative is aimed at, among other things, alleviating the country’s reliance on South Africa to treat Eswatini patients through Phalala Fund, as it became clear that many Emaswati ended up losing their lives under such circumstances.
When addressing the gathering on the first day of the Eswatini Impact Review exercise of the National Cancer Control Program, an event that also saw the launching of the Country Programme Framework (CPF), the minister disclosed that the Ministry of Health would be expanding its cancer treatment services to include radiotherapy.
Minister Matsebula told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that this project was an effort to scale down on relying on South Africa, through the Phalala Fund, for radiotherapy treatment of cancers.
Minister Matsebula stated that his Ministry had, in its plans, the expansion of cancer treatment services to include Radiotherapy services that would be introduced at the Manzini Government Hospital. He emphasised that a budget of E20 million had been secured from Government for this fiscal year for the construction of the radiotherapy facility.
“This was aimed at ensuring that all cancer services are provided locally in order to reduce the cost of transferring cancer patients to neighbouring countries. The Ministry is therefore eagerly awaiting the passing of the Nuclear Bill in order to begin embarking on this important project,” Matsebula said.
Matsebula said his Ministry was therefore eagerly awaiting the passing of the Nuclear Bill in order to begin embarking on this important project. He said he was aware that as part of the Impact Mission activities this week, they would be working with a team from the Ministry of Health to review and finalise the ‘Bankable Document for Establishment of the First Radiotherapy Facility in Eswatini.’ This document, according to Matsebula, would provide the overall plan and cost of this project, including its timelines and responsibilities of different entities.
