(MENAFNEditorial) WINDHOEK Namibia June 9 2015/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Namibian cancer patients requiring specialised radiation therapy will no longer have to travel to South Africa for their treatment with the opening of the new Namibian Oncology Centre equipped with the country's first Elekta digital linear accelerator (http://www.elekta.com).
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The private Namibian Oncology Centre is set to open in Windhoek later this year. Built and equipped with funding from Spitz Healthcare Investments the centre will have chemotherapy laboratory pharmacy and in-patient facilities as well as the first digital linear accelerator radiation treatment in Namibia. The centre's radiation unit with the capacity to treat up to 50 patients a day will bring to Namibia highly specialised treatment never before available in the country. The only other radiation treatment available in Namibia is at the state hospital in Windhoek which uses an older cobalt radiation unit. The new linear accelerator offers a wider scope of treatment protocols utilizing multiple energies capable of addressing a large variety of cancers.
A team of specialists including oncologists radiation therapists nurses and support staff is now in place to man the new centre. One of the team's oncologists Dr. Elré van Heerden notes that the benefits of the new unit will extend to patients beyond Namibia's borders as a number of private patients from Angola are also expected to seek treatment at the facility.
Martin Noordmanservice partner manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at Elekta South Africa says the Digital Linear Accelerator offers a wider scope of treatment protocols offering multiple energies capable of addressing a large variety of cancers. He explains that the Elekta Synergy Platform with a sophisticated ultra-conformal field shaping with a fully integrated multileaf collimator allows for highly targeted radiation.Higher energies are important in the case of deep tumours or large patients. Elekta Digital Linear Accelerators allow health practitioners to limit the radiation exposure of normal tissue and so limit the side effects of treatment.
Dr. van Heerden believes this is a key benefit of the new Elekta linear accelerator and advanced treatment planning capability. 'This equipment allows for highly targeted radiation treatment with limited damage to healthy tissue. This is crucial in curative treatment in particular because with the ability to cure more patients we need to ensure the treatment has as little long term impact on healthy tissue as possible.'
Noordman says the arrival of Elekta's highly advanced linear accelerator in Namibia could ease the burden on the state's oncology facility through a possible public-private partnership in future as well as delivering a number of benefits to private patients who previously might have had to travel to major centres in South Africa for specialised treatment. 'Typical cancer treatments would entail daily treatments for six weeks. Thus travelling thousands of kilometres to another country for treatment entails significant cost and disruption for patients but crucially – it also separates them from their emotional support base at home at a time when they need it the most.' Dr. van Heerden adds that many patients being treated for symptoms may also be too sick to travel long distances for treatment.
Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Elekta.
Media contact:
Red Ribbon Communications
Lizelle Cloete
lizelle@redribboncommunications.co.za
About Elekta
Elekta (http://www.elekta.com) is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy radiosurgery and brachytherapy as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care. Stretching the boundaries of science and technology providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both health care providers and patients Elekta aims to improve prolong and even save patient lives.
Today Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 6000 hospitals worldwide. Elekta employs around 3800 employees globally. The corporate headquarters is located in Stockholm Sweden and the company is listed on NASDAQ Stockholm. Website: www.elekta.com.
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