By Emmanuel Ayinebyona
Cancer patients in the country will have to wait a little longer after delays pushed the procurement of the new cobalt 60 radiotherapy machine to next year.
The director of the Uganda Cancer Institute, Dr. Jackson Orem says the shipment of the machine is likely to commence in March 2017.
However, the government has been flip-flopping on the progress of replacing the machine that broke down on March 27 this year and its absentia has afflicted about 2,000 cancer patients who were receiving radiotherapy treatment at the time.
In October Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng told reporters that the machine would be in the country by December 2016.
However, her promise has not come to pass after there were delays in getting the contractor to renovate the old bunker expected to house the new machine.
The refurbishment of the bunker will be done by Arab Contractors Limited at a cost of Shs1.1billion.
