President José Raúl Mulino inaugurated the Bugaba Oncology and Nuclear Medicine Center, which is forecasted to benefit more than 600,000 people in Chiriqui, Bocas del Toro, Veraguas and the Ngäbe-Buglé region. This new facility offers Radiotherapy (radiation therapy), a medical treatment that uses high-energy ionizing radiation (such as X-rays, gamma rays, or proton beams) to destroy cancer cells or stop them from growing, as well as chemotherapy and nuclear medicine.
The equipment consists of two linear accelerators for radiotherapy and machines for brachytherapy and nuclear medicine. The second linear accelerator was donated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), thanks to the efforts of President Mulino during an international tour. President Mulino clarified that patients will begin receiving care once the equipment is calibrated and certified to ensure the safety of the treatments. This new clinic in Bugaba will alleviate the expense and stress of travel to Panama City to receive cancer treatments. Health Minister Fernando Boyd announced that the creation of another cancer center in Azuero is being discussed, to bring these services closer to more patients in the country.
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