The only Linear Accelerator at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, has been down for three weeks now.
A linear accelerator (LINAC) is the device used for treating patients with cancer. It delivers high-energy x-rays to the region of the patient’s tumor.
There are eight LINAC machines in the country. With the breakdown of LUTH’s machine, only two of such machines are functional in the country.
It was gathered that the machine broke down as a result of the use of adulterated diesel on it.
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| The LINAC machine that packed up |
A source said: “When former President Olusegun Obasanjo government gave the hospital this machine in year 2007, the suppliers said power must not be cut off from it while in operation. So, LUTH got two generators to power it. It was not connected to the central power. So, when the adulterated diesel was poured, the generators started tripping off, and then went off finally. While the generators were tripping off, they were transferring incomplete energy to power the machine. Now we the patients can’t access treatment. My pain is that my routine is being disrupted. It is on record that our treatment generates between N7 to N8million in a month.”
The cost of repairing the machine is about N18million, aside other logistics. Head of Department Prof. Remi Ajekigbe said he could not comment on the matter because he was not authorised by the management to talk to the media.
“But you can ask the management by Tuesday when the hospital resumes from the holiday break,” he said on phone.
An SMS sent to the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof. Bode Chris, asking why the machine broke down and what his management was doing to repair it, was not replied to.
The machine treat about 70 to 80 patients a day.
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