Fighting Cancer: Uganda restarts radiotherapy treatment

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In East Africa, Uganda has restarted a vital treatment for cancer patients nearly two years after the country's only radiotherapy machine broke down. With the help of the International Atomic Energy Agency, a new machine is now in place in the capital, and is expected to cover a backlog of patients faster and more efficiently. CGTN's Isabel Nakirya has more.

A sigh of relief for these cancer patients. A long awaited radiotherapy machine is up and running. The new lifesaving medical equipment comes right on time for Imelda Kandole, who is in need for a second line of treatment.

IMELDA KANDOLE CANCER PATIENT "I regretted when I found out I had cancer of the uterus, I should have removed my uterus earlier because I left my marriage when I was still young, maybe it could have helped, but I found out late and I didn't know I had cancer."

But Imelda still has over 20 more treatments to go through. And it's a costly process. Imelda comes from western Uganda and she's had to rent a house in Kampala as she receives treatment.

IMELDA KANDOOLE CANCER PATIENT "People are many and we have to wait in queue for long. If at least we had these machines in every region. People are coming from the west, northi, t's too much and it's expensive because you need to get where to sleep and buy food."

ISABEL NAKIRYA KAMPALA "After two years without a radiotherapy machine, the number of patients here is overwhelming. Doctors say they've had to extend working hours to be able to treat about 100 cancer patients every day."

The new machine is a huge step in cancer treatment not only for Uganda but also patients from neighboring countries who can access free radiation treatment here.

DR. DANIEL KANYIKE CLINICAL RADIATION ONCOLOGIST "This machine works on a new system, it's digital, it's more accurate and more sophisticated. It was manufactured on order, after renovation of the building and the bunker and with help of the International Atomic Energy, the order was made."

Uganda's Cancer Institute receives about 500 new cancer cases annually and officials here say more than half require radiation therapy.The government says it hopes to buy additional radiation machines to help doctors better manage the disease.With improvements in technology, hope for more patients like Imelda could be restored. Isabel Nakirya, CGTN, Kampala, Uganda.