Mozambique: MPs to donate a day’s salary to help restore oncology services after fire

Members of Mozambique’s parliament will donate one day’s salary to help restore the oncology services at Maputo Central Hospital, which were affected by a fire on Sunday, it was announced on Wednesday.

“The ‘House of the People’ [parliament] has decided to allocate one day’s salary from MPs as a concrete expression of our contribution to efforts to restore the oncology services,” said Mozambican Parliament Speaker Margarida Talapa, at the start of a plenary sitting during which the Government is answering questions from MPs.

According to Margarida Talapa, the donation of one day’s salary forms part of efforts to support the recovery of the centre, the only one of its kind in the country. She stressed that it is in times of need that solidarity must prevail.

“May this moment inspire us to strengthen the bonds of unity, compassion and fraternity, mindful that the strength of our nation lies in our ability to support one another, especially in times of greatest difficulty,” Talapa appealed.

On Tuesday, the Cabinet also announced that ministers would each donate at least one day’s salary. The Government spokesperson, Inocêncio Impissa, said investigations were under way to establish the causes of the incident and that assessments of the damage caused by the fire at the country’s only oncology treatment centre were continuing.

READ: Mozambique: Ministers pledge a minimum of one day’s salary each to help restore oncology services

The fire broke out on Sunday in the Oncology Department of Maputo Central Hospital, Mozambique’s only such facility, where 22 patients were hospitalised. They were evacuated in time and no casualties were reported, according to information released by the Government.

The spokesperson said the Government was continuing to monitor the assessment of the consequences of the fire in order to determine the needs for restoring the facility.

Impissa said on Tuesday that there was not yet a financial estimate for rebuilding the affected services, as the assessment was still at an early stage.

“First, we need to identify the causes and assess the damage. This includes taking stock of the equipment that was destroyed,” he said.

According to Impissa, preliminary assessments indicate that not all the equipment was destroyed by the flames.

Of the 22 patients admitted at the time of the fire, 12 have already been discharged, while the remaining patients continue to receive medical care.

Meanwhile, the oncology services continue to attend to around 90 outpatients and consultation patients every day.

Following the fire, the Mozambican Government set up a support unit for cancer patients to accommodate those requiring hospital admission, as well as outpatients who travel to the hospital to receive treatment and return home on the same day.

A patient assistance office was also established for patients and family members affected by the situation, Health Minister Ussene Isse previously said. Its contact details were to be announced at a later date.

During the fire, the intervention of firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to other areas, particularly the ground floor, where the radiotherapy department is located.

The fire did not reach the lower section of the underground shelter housing the linear accelerator (LINAC). However, radiotherapy equipment is sensitive to heat and energy, and specialists are continuing to assess the damage.