On 21 November 2017, Equra Health PTY LTD and the Lenmed Royal Hospital and Heart Centre will take delivery of the Elekta Synergy Platform, a radiation therapy treatment system that will revolutionise oncology in the Northern Cape Province. This state-of-the-art system will be the first of its kind in the area, and the only one of its kind in the province, transforming oncology care for patients and practitioners.
“There are currently no radiotherapy services in the Northern Cape Province. Patients have to travel to Bloemfontein or Johannesburg to receive treatment which impacts on their health, outcomes and finances,” explains Jennifer Fuller, Regional Business Manager, MSH. “The delivery of the Elekta Synergy Platform is an extraordinary achievement – patients will be able to receive treatment for a variety of cancers such as breast cancer right through to skin cancer, cervical cancer and prostate cancer as of January 2018.”
Quality Oncology Care For Northern Cape Residents
The Elekta Synergy Platform is one of the most advanced on the market today offering high-end treatment modalities such as 3D conformal, 2D real-time imaging and IMRT – intensity-modulated radiotherapy. It also features a fully integrated 160 multileaf collimator which ensures the beam is shaped to the shape and size of the tumour and spares health tissue around it.
“The primary goal for Equra Health is to have an oncology footprint in all nine provinces. To achieve this vision, we need to forge long-term partnerships with the right people and organisations. It has taken time to move into this area as we had to find a partner that understood our ethos and matched our commitment to health,” says Fuller. “The Lenmed Royal Hospital and Heart Centre was a superb fit, allowing us to create an exceptional oncology facility and gave us the opportunity to partner with the three independent oncologists on site.”
Dr Theo Smallberger, Dr Sumeyyah Ibrahim and Dr Daniel Osei-Fofie will be consulting out of the hospital and collaborating with Equra Health PTY LTD and Lenmed to provide a full oncology service to patients. Their involvement has allowed for the centre to create a holistic oncology care solution for patients who sorely need it.
“Having a state-of-the-art oncology facility is a great step forward in providing a top-class health care service for cancer patients in the Northern Cape. I am looking forward to this wonderful opportunity.” Dr Theo Smalberger, Specialist Clinical and Radiation Oncologist.
“At long last oncology patients in the Northern Cape Province have access to much needed, long-awaited radiotherapy treatment and I am more than excited for this new service that will shortly be available in Kimberley”. Dr Daniel Osei-Fofie, Specialist Clinical and Radiation Oncologist.
Oncology Care Centres
Equra Health PTY LTD currently owns and operates 32 high-energy external beam radiation treatment machines (linear accelerators), has an extensive geographic footprint and is currently present in 8 of the 9 provinces in SA, Kimberley will ensure all 9 provinces are covered. Equra Health is an accredited radiotherapy service provider to the Independent Clinical Oncology Network (ICON). ICON is a nationwide network of specialists in oncology who are committed to widening access to quality cancer care in SA. More than 80% of the country’s medical, radiation and clinical oncologists are part of the ICON network.
“The machine can treat between 40 to 50 cancer patients a day,” concludes Fuller. “For those patients who have had to travel to Bloemfontein or Johannesburg, this will change the way they recover and heal. Often, they have to spend four to six weeks in these cities, away from their support networks and their jobs. This can impact on their outcomes as they don’t have moral support, and many of these patients don’t speak English so the experience is even more emotionally draining.”
The Elekta Synergy Platform will be arriving on 21 November and is set to start operations early in 2018. A qualified medical physicist will oversee the installation during this period, a lengthy process that takes several months. Equra Health is also aiming to work with local and provincial government so that state patients can gain access to the facility, receiving much-needed care closer to home.
By investing in this market-leading system, Lenmed Royal Hospital and Heart Centre and Equra Health are fundamentally changing the way oncology care is managed in the Northern Cape Province. It is a landmark moment for the oncology specialists on site, but it is even more so for those patients who can now work, live and recover close to their homes, friends and families.
