PMGH to have cancer facility by next year: CEO

THE Port Moresby General Hospital will soon have its own cancer facility and hopes to start treating patients at the facility by early next year.
Acting CEO Dr Paki Molumi said the facility was funded through the 2018 National Budget’s allocation of K28.5mil for the hospital to upgrade and expand its services.
Molumi said, from the K28.5mil, about K20mil would be used to build the cancer centre.
“The new cancer facility will have the latest cancer machine on the market, which is one of the latest linear accelerator called halcyon to provide radiotherapy,” he said.
“The centre will also have a 15-bed medical oncology and will include chemotherapy and a comprehensive nuclear/molecular department and a PET and nuclear medicine.” Molumi said treating cancer was challenging because it required multiple treatment, surgery and drugs, and there was no exact time frame for treatment.
“There have been many challenges but we hope to address that through the new cancer facility.
“As we believe the new modern facility will provide the ability to diagnose and treat cancer using modern therapeutic solutions and at the same time monitor the effectiveness of the treatment all at one location.”
Molumi said Port Moresby General Hospital was on track to provide the most modern cancer treatment to the people by January.
The construction of the facility begun in March and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.