The Ministry of Health has reaffirmed that Lesotho’s long-awaited cancer center will be completed by 2027, despite earlier delays.
This was disclosed during a recent meeting between the Ministry and the Parliament Portfolio Committee on the Social Cluster.
The project was initially allocated a budget of more than M182 million. By the end of the last quarter of the previous financial year, more than M29 million had already been spent, while a further M18 million has been used in the current financial year.
According to Mosito Mosehle, Acting Estate Director at the Ministry, the construction of the facility was originally scheduled to begin in the 2024/2025 financial year but was postponed due to legal challenges and a revised design.
“The site was only handed over for construction this past January. The design was revised to be a full-fledged cancer center, incorporating essential facilities and equipment that were not in the initial plan,” Mosehle said.
He explained that the review ensured the inclusion of critical infrastructure. “We were advised that in order for us to have a full-fledged cancer center we would have to review the design to include medical equipment, a laboratory, a theater, and an ICU,” he added.
The revised designs are now being finalised, with construction expected to resume on September 1. Mosehle stressed that despite the setbacks, the project remains on track for completion in 2027 within the allocated budget.
Dr. Kabelo Mputsoe, a Clinical Radiation Oncologist, highlighted that the new design will provide 65 beds, including 15 dedicated to children. The facility will also feature an operating theater, a palliative care unit, an isolation recovery room, and specialised chemotherapy chairs.
In addition, it will be equipped with advanced diagnostic tools such as an MRI scanner, a CT scanner, and a fully equipped pathology laboratory, ensuring comprehensive care for cancer patients.
Summary
- According to Mosito Mosehle, Acting Estate Director at the Ministry, the construction of the facility was originally scheduled to begin in the 2024/2025 financial year but was postponed due to legal challenges and a revised design.
- “We were advised that in order for us to have a full-fledged cancer center we would have to review the design to include medical equipment, a laboratory, a theater, and an ICU,” he added.
- It will be equipped with advanced diagnostic tools such as an MRI scanner, a CT scanner, and a fully equipped pathology laboratory, ensuring comprehensive care for cancer patients.
Ntsoaki Motaung is an award-winning health journalist from Lesotho, specializing in community health stories with a focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as HIV. She has contributed to platforms like “Be in the KNOW,” highlighting issues such as the exclusion of people with disabilities from HIV prevention efforts in Lesotho.
In addition to her journalism, Ntsoaki serves as the Country Coordinator for the Regional Media Action Plan Support Network (REMAPSEN). She is also a 2023 CPHIA Journalism Fellow.
