Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 4th Oct. UN office of humanitarian and Coordination affairs on Tuesday said that the first radiotherapy machine to treat cancer arrived in northwest Syria over the weekend, in a press release issued in New York.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters in New York that it marks a “monumental step” for cancer treatment in the region.
He added that radiotherapy sessions have historically not been available in local health facilities, forcing Syrian cancer patients to become dependent on cross-border referrals to Türkiye.
The announcement came after multiple advocacy efforts led by the UN and its partners, with the support from the Government of Türkiye.
OCHA said that 90 to 100 Syrian cancer patients each week were crossing from Syria into Türkiye for treatment, via the referral system.
This system was severely disrupted following the devastating earthquakes in February, emphasized the need for local radiotherapy capabilities.
The machine can provide more than 40 radiotherapy sessions a dayis now set up in the largest hospital in Afrin.
The hospital is adjusting to meet the operational standards and safety requirements of a radiotherapy centre.
The facility is expected to meet the needs of up to one-third of all cancer patients in northwest Syria.
Turkish health authorities have pledged their support for the effort, with Turkish technicians and oncologists operating the machine on-site and training Syrian health workers.
Mr. Dujarric urged the international community to do more to support OCHA’s efforts since the devastated earthquakes hit there has been an uptick in cancer cases reported in the region.
Comments are closed.