Senegal’s solitary radiotherapy machine broke down on December 28 last year, leaving the country’s only radiation therapist and small team of technicians idly waiting as patients were turned away or offered alternative treatments.
The machine uses radioactive cobalt-60 to produce gamma rays that halt tumors in organs near the skin. Installed in 1989, it is from a generation of devices that are completely phased out in most developed countries.
The machine has broken down many times before. Doctors who are familiar with the technology say such a machine should normally not exceed 20 years’ use.
The Senegalese government promises that three state-of-the-art linear accelerators, which are standard elsewhere, will be installed by August.
This is somewhat surprising given that Senegal’s hospital system is a reference for the West African sub-region.
Patients cross borders to receive diagnoses, treatments and surgeries. The hospital in Dakar boasts a research unit and some of the only modern DNA sequencing machines on the continent.
The strength of the country’s health system, which doctors are proud to say is more than 100 years old, is due in large part to a long-standing high level of medical education in Senegal.
Medical students from Algeria and Morocco come to Dakar for research and studies. Yet the system is fragile and overwhelmed.
Almost 14 million people live in Senegal, but only a handful of doctors focus on cancer.
Doctors in the developed world recommend one radiation machine or linear accelerator for every 200,000 people. Senegal has one, and this year it is broken. So the lines in the cancer ward are long.
76771 850341I recognize there exists plenty of spam on this blog. Do you want support cleansing them up? I might assist amongst courses! 984287
796662 133870Yay google is my king assisted me to discover this outstanding site ! . 888346
574344 91970Certainly,Chilly spot! We stumbled on the cover and Im your personal representative. limewire limewire 962445
221943 576679baby strollers with high traction rollers really should be a lot safer to use compared to those with plastic wheels- 237215
874008 597260A persons Are generally Weight loss is surely a practical and flexible an eating program method manufactured for people who suffer that want to weight loss and therefore ultimately conserve a much far more culture. weight loss 151763
945533 427937Precisely what I was searching for, thankyou for putting up. 836206
634546 386637Hi there. Quite cool internet site!! Guy .. Beautiful .. Fantastic .. I will bookmark your internet site and take the feeds additionallyI am glad to locate so a lot valuable info proper here in the post. Thanks for sharing 17016
827839 904595This internet site is my aspiration , quite fantastic pattern and perfect articles . 945561
631515 201292This really is something I really need to try and do a great deal of analysis into, thanks for the post 58071
15012 62042Overall, politicians are split on the concern of whether Twitter is a lot more for business or personal use. The first thing is the fact that you can build up quite a large following of men and women. 796751