Benjamin Ssemata, Radiation Therapist at the Uganda Cancer Institute, shared on LinkedIn.
“ONE VOICE FOR RADIOTHERAPY | Episode 3
When the machine stops, cancer doesn’t.
One of the hardest moments in a resource-constrained radiotherapy department has nothing to do with operating the machine.It is walking into a waiting area full of patients and having to say:
We cannot treat you today
Perhaps there has been an equipment breakdown. Perhaps a service interruption. Perhaps the enormous workload has finally taken its toll on a system operating under relentless pressure.
For some patients, ‘come back tomorrow‘ sounds simple. But tomorrow may mean finding another transport fare. Another night away from home. Another day away from work. Another family member missing work to accompany them. And another day wondering what is happening to the cancer inside their body.
Then imagine returning tomorrow and the machine is still not ready. You walk past the waiting area and see the faces. Fear, Frustration,Exhaustion, Sometimes tears.
And behind those eyes is an unspoken question:
‘What happens to me now?’ The healthcare workers feel it too. Because we know exactly why those patients came. We know what an uninterrupted treatment course means. And we desperately want that machine treating patients again.
This is why investment in radiotherapy cannot end with purchasing equipment. Access also means maintenance. Engineering support.
Reliable infrastructure. Trained professionals. Sustainable financing. Adequate treatment capacity. And systems resilient enough to keep patients on treatment.
A radiotherapy machine sitting silent is not merely broken technology.It can represent dozens of people whose chance at treatment has temporarily been put on hold. As we celebrate the World Radiotherapy Awareness Day this 7th September, let us talk about sustainability too.
Because when the MACHINE STOPS… CANCER DOESN’T… “
You can also read: Mapping Palliative Radiotherapy Access Across Canada
