by Jocelyn P. Alvarez
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Jan. 31 (PIA) – - Zamboanga City Medical Center (ZCMC) will soon have a brand new Cobalt Source, replacing the “half life” that has aged to 10 years serving patients not only from Zamboanga but also from nearby provinces.
The acquisition comes after Health Secretary Enrique Ona approved the purchase of the Cobalt Source with the efforts of the Deputy Speaker for Mindanao and Zamboanga City 1st District Representative Beng Climaco-Salazar.
Costing the government some P16 million, the cobalt source will be purchased by the Department of Health (DOH) in Canada and is expected to arrive here first quarter of this year.
ZCMC Chief of Hospital Dr. Romeo Ong said, awaiting the arrival of the cobalt source, the hospital’s Department of Radiation Oncology (DRO) has temporarily suspended acceptance of (new) incoming patients referred for radiation therapy.
He assured though that patients who are presently undergoing therapy with the DRO will still get to finish sessions, and there are at the moment 8 patients undergoing regular therapy sessions.
Cobalt Source is being used in Radiation Therapy, a method used for patients with cervical, colon, rectal and breast cancers.
Radiation Therapy costs P400.00 per session in ZCMC, informed Dr. Ong. (JPA/PIA-ZBST)
