Minister of Health, Dr. the honourable Dr. Christopher, visited the Christie NHS Foundation Trust’s Oncology Center in the United Kingdom, Monday August 7, 2017, to discuss best practices as it relates to oncology treatment. The visit formed part of the Minister’s overall plan to seek technical cooperation in several areas in public health including oncology.
Dr. Tufton explained, “The visit was important to get a firsthand look at oncology treatment as we prepare to commission linear accelerators at our cancer treatment centers at the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kingston.”
Construction on both cancer treatment centers have started and it is expected that the center in Montego Bay will be opened in the fourth quarter of this financial year. Equipment for each site includes one linear accelerator, one CT simulator, one C-arm mobile x-ray unit and one brachytherapy machine with treatment planning system and related quality assurance equipment.
“Partnerships in public health include the sharing of technical expertise and the Christie Oncology Center, as the leading experts in cancer care, research and education in Manchester, will help us to better commission these potentially lifesaving equipment.”, Minister Tufton added.
Under the National Strategic and Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, the Government has set a target to reduce the number of premature deaths attributable to chronic diseases including cancer by 25% by the year 2025.