Kairuki Hospital installs HIFU machine to remove tumours without surgeries

Dar es Salaam. The healthcare sector has received a big boost with the introduction of modern tumour treatment at Kairuki Hospital. This innovative approach allows for the removal of tumours without the need for surgery.

The hospital has deployed the High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) machine that uses ultrasound waves for its operations.

The operator of the machine, Dr Fredy Rutachunzibwa, said it treats various types of tumours in the cervix, kidney, pancreas, liver, bones, breasts and any other tumour that can be detected through the HIFU machine. The machine, which started operating in January of this year, has the capacity to treat up to 10 patients per day.

"This machine, apart from having that ability, will greatly benefit women who are suffering from tumours that cause fertility challenges. Now if the tumours are removed, they will get pregnant easily," he said.

He said the benefits of treatment using the machine are that the patient does not experience severe pain, recovers quickly, does not lose blood and avoids surgical scars.

He said that four patients have already undergone treatment since the arrival of the machine, which is expected to be officially launched soon. The director general of Kairuki Hospital, Dr Asser Mchomvu, said that there are only four HIFU machines in Africa, adding that they are in Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, and now Tanzania.

He said that the hospital has sent two of its specialists abroad for training and they have already completed their training and have become experts in operating the machine.

"The capacity of the machine is to treat up to 10 patients per day, but it depends on the type of tumour the patient has," he said.

Dr Mchomvu said that the hospital has already created a special team to treat tumors without surgery called HIFU Clinic which will be run by the hospital's experts.