LILONGWE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Malawi will no longer have to send cancer patients to India, Tanzania and Kenya for treatment once the construction of radiotherapy and brachytherapy bunkers at the country's cancer center in Lilongwe, the national capital, is completed by December 2023.

The country's Minister for Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda told local media Wednesday when she visited the construction site to check the progress of the works.

The project involves the construction of four external beam radiotherapy bunkers, two brachytherapy bunkers and supporting services, and it is pegged at 8 billion Malawian Kwacha (about 7.4 million U.S. dollars).

The minister, who was accompanied by Indian Ambassador to Malawi Subbiah Gopalakrishnan, said the project is getting support from the Indian government and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) through the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

According to the project brief shared by the Ministry of Health, a total of 4.4 million U.S. dollars, a part of the OFID loan, was transferred to the IAEA for the procurement of two radiotherapy bunkers and two brachytherapy bunkers for the project.

The other two radiotherapy bunkers will be provided by the Rays of Hope Initiative of the IAEA and, according to the brief, both OFID and the Initiative have attached a condition to their respective commitments.

"OFID has indicated in the last missions to Malawi that failure to finalize the project in time as reported will result in the cancellation of the loan amount that is with IAEA," read the project brief. "Failure to complete the construction of the bunkers by November 2023, will result in Malawi losing out on the donation from Rays of Hope Initiative."

The Indian government is set to procure the cancer center's major radiotherapy equipment, Cobalt 60, which, according to Ambassador Gopalakrishnan, can treat 100 patients per day, but, again, the donation is also tied to the completion of the bunkers, according to the brief.

According to the health minister, Malawi loses 2 billion Malawian Kwacha quarterly on international cancer referrals for treatment. And upon completion, the center will help the country save lives and resources.

Chiponda said more than 2,000 women died in Malawi because of cervical cancer in 2022 alone, a situation she said could be minimized by having a facility like the one under construction. Enditem

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