First Chemotherapy Treatment
On 13.9.2024, for the first time in our hospital, patients were treated with chemotherapy. About one week earlier we had received government approval for this treatment method. This means that now patients with cancer can be treated effectively at our facility, while previously this service was only available at Dar Es Salaam and in the Northern parts of Tanzania.
Our team consists of one oncologist, one Medical Doctor (MD), three nurses and one pharmacist. The MD, the nurses and the pharmacist have received special training for this therapy.
The newly equipped chemotherapy ward meets all the requirements. The drugs are prepared by the pharmacist at a special biosafety cabinet and brought to the treatment room via a short route. There they are administered to the patients over a period of up to several hours, during which time they can sit or lie comfortably on special chairs. There is also a room for registration of patients, a waiting area and a doctor’s room for patient consultations.
During the first week, 15 patients have already been counselled by our oncologist and we were able to administer chemotherapy to two patients.
As we are the only facility in the Southern part of Tanzania to offer this treatment, we expect a large number of patients to report during the coming weeks and months.
