Benjamin Ssemata, Radiation Therapist at the Uganda Cancer Institute, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“The Spring Newsletter from Rayos Contra Cancer (RCC) is out and my name appears among key volunteers recognized for supporting their mission.
But here’s what matters more than any recognition:
Competence in radiotherapy saves lives. Not technology alone. Not machines alone. Not protocols on paper alone. Rather Competent, confident, compassionate Radiotherapy Professionals who show up every day and deliver safe, precise treatment.
For patients in LMICs where access is already a battle, quality care is the difference between:
- Hope and despair
- Cure and complication
- Trust in our profession and fear of it
When a patient has a great experience in our clinic, they don’t keep it to themselves. They go back to their village, their mosque, their church, their market and they become ambassadors for radiotherapy. (reverse is true)
That’s not just treatment. That’s advocacy in action.
That’s why RCC’s work matters.
- Free remote learning.
- Continued competence.
- Equitable access to training for RTTs across LMICs.
And that’s why World Radiotherapy Awareness Day matters.
World Radiotherapy Awareness Day (September 7, every year) is our global moment to say:
- Radiotherapy saves lives.
- Competence saves lives.
- Advocacy saves lives.
Let’s use it to amplify the voices of Radiotherapy in every corner of the world especially where patients need us most.
- To RCC Director Benjamin Li and Educators: Thank you for seeing me. Thank you for training us. Thank you for giving RTTs like me a platform to grow, then turn around and lift others.
- To my fellow RT Professionals in LMICs: Keep learning. Keep showing up. Keep advocating. The world is watching — and you belong on every stage.
- To patients everywhere: We see you. We’re fighting for you. And we’re getting better every single day so you can live longer, better, and with dignity.
Let’s make competence the standard. And let’s make advocacy our legacy.”
Other articles featuring Benjamin Ssemata on OncoDaily.