$27.5 Million Invested In Cancer Machines For Major Hospitals, Says Mombeshora

Health and Child Care Minister Douglas Mombeshora said the government has spent US$27.5 million on cancer diagnostic and treatment machines for Parirenyatwa and Mpilo hospitals.

He made the remarks in the National Assembly on Wednesday while responding to questions about how funds from the sugar tax, introduced last year, have been used. Mombeshora said:

“As the Ministry of Health and Child Care, we have awarded tenders to two companies for Parirenyatwa and Mpilo hospitals. In total, we spent US$27.5 million.

“We submitted to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion the necessary documents for them to pay the 30 percent deposit as per the agreement and in accordance with the suppliers’ instructions. The suppliers indicated that these are costly machines.”

Mombeshora said contracts with the suppliers have already been signed, and it has been more than two months since the agreements were finalised.

He added that it is now up to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion to release the funds so that the machines can be installed.

Mombeshora said the suppliers have indicated that the machines will be manufactured and installed within 36 weeks, and the government expects them to be operational by December.

The minister also said the government is now in the second phase of procuring equipment for provincial hospitals, including CT scanners, ultrasound machines and MRI scanners. The relevant tenders are expected to be completed within two months.

Meanwhile, Mombeshora told Parliament that the Ministry has acquired eight mobile medical vans, which will be deployed across the provinces to provide free health check-ups and early cancer screening services, including tests for prostate and cervical cancer. He said:

“I am confident that clearance will be completed next week. We have already sent a team to retrieve them from Mozambique. These vans will test both men and women, starting with prostate cancer.

“Cervical cancer predominantly affects women, so we have vehicles that will be testing both genders. It will no longer be just women.

“We are improving bit by bit. We aim to reach a point where everyone can be tested for free.”

More: The Herald

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