Shangula commissions N$16-million cobalt-60 radiotherapy machine

Minister of health and social services Kalumbi Shangula on Monday commissioned the installation of a N$16-million cobalt-60 radiotherapy machine in the oncology unit of Windhoek Central Hospital.

In his address, Shangula said the commissioning of the machine will assist in effectively fighting the burden of cancer in Namibia and save thousands of lives.

“The ministry took the decision to upgrade the cobalt-60 radiotherapy unit, to the latest technology,” he stressed.

The machine, along with a simulator, is used for targeting malignant cells.

“The aim is to improve treatment times and outcomes significantly. The installation of the cobalt source was completed in December 2024 at a cost of more than N$16 million. This is the unit which we are bringing into stream here today,” he noted, adding that Namibia is among a limited number of countries in Africa that has a robust locally managed programme for the diagnosis, treatment and management of different types of cancer.

“This is something we as Namibians can pride ourselves in. We have a multidisciplinary medical team comprising different specialties, such as medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, urologists and nuclear medicine physicians who assess patients and determine appropriate treatment interventions,” Shangula said.

He noted that the management and specific treatment options are decided upon depending on the type and stage of the cancer.

The ministry, Shangula noted, has deployed various cancer diagnosis modalities ranging from analysis of biological samples to anatomical imaging technologies, such as X-ray machines, computed tomography (CT) scanners, and ultrasound machines, in cancer diagnoses.

“The ministry currently has five CT scanners, 60 X-ray machines, and dozens of ultrasound machines, located at various health facilities around the country. At the oncology section, different types of chemotherapy treatments are available and accessible to all state patients and treatment is provided for, for example, breast cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma.

“There is a unit that provides treatment of skin cancer using the orthovoltage unit and high dose rate unit for internal irradiation of specific cancers,” Shangula said.

He maintained that the ministry provides curative treatment for differentiated thyroid cancers such as papillary thyroid carcinoma and follicular thyroid carcinoma using a high dosage Iodine capsule.

“At present, 85% of Namibia’s population makes use of public hospitals.”

Shangula revealed that the health ministry is considering the introduction of Lutetium-177 PSMA therapy as a novel treatment for prostate cancer.
“This breakthrough treatment, developed and pioneered by experts in South Africa, has proven to be highly effective, successful and safe,” he said.

The minister also highlighted that plans are underway to establish a radiotherapy centre at Oshakati at a capital cost of N$240 million.

Windhoek Central Hospital radiation oncology head Dr Laina Iyambo says the newly commissioned machine will not only serve Namibians, but patients from neighbouring countries as well.

“We are going to work as hard as possible to clear the backlog. Human resources remains a huge challenge, especially when it comes to radiotherapy technicians and oncologists. Our top three cancers are breast, cervical and prostate, hence the cobalt unit needs to be complemented with a constant supply of brachytherapy sources for us to properly treat cervical cancer and achieve maximum benefit,” she adds.

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