Good Samaritan CANCER Hospital
IFAKARA

Good Samaritan Hospital Ifakara

Missionaries of Compassion plans to implement a comprehensive cancer care program in the central part of Tanzania which will include all the components of cancer care like prevention; screening and early detection, diagnosis and treatment by establishing Good Samarian Cancer Hospital at Ifakara.  The existing cancer treatment centres in the country are situated very far for most people of this area and are not accessible to them.  A cancer hospital at a quasi geographically centre of the country like Ifakara, will give access to much more people for the diagnosis of cancer and for treatment.  This would in turn considerably reduce mortality rates due to cancer in the region.  Our aim is to give service to the maximum number of poor patients who do not have access to the only two cancer treatment centres which are located in faraway places.

Facilities (shortly) Available

The Outpatient Department comprises of 4 doctors’ consultation rooms, counseling room, health insurance service room and an ultrasound room. There is also a large screen monitor mounted on the front wall which airs educational material about cancer.

Services:

The department maintains paperless workflow and offers the following services:-

  1. Recording of vital signs and biometric parameters
  2. General and Specialist Consultations
  3. Physical examination
  4. Cancer screening
  5. Health education
  6. Counseling

Our hospital’s Outpatient Department is designed to allow smooth and free movements of patients and clients. From the registration window, patients proceed to a desk of Nurse in Charge of the Outpatient Department and are channeled to their respective doctors through our Hospital Information Management System (HIMS).

Imagine how it would be trying to make a diagnosis without imaging!  We have embraced the role of imaging in clinical medicine to aid in the diagnosis of various diseases.

Our department is furnished with highly sophisticated machines including:

  1. Computed Tomography:- CT-Scan machine unit:- Used for diagnostic scan and CT simulation.
  2. Plain radiography- (X-ray) machine with CR system.
  3. Mammography machine.
  4. Ultrasound machine:- with Doppler function, linear and curvilinear transducer, endocavitary and cardiac probes. 

Our services:

The department of radiology offers the following services:-

  1. Computed Tomography: CT-Scan and CT-guided biopsy.
  2. Conventional radiography:- All types of diagnostic x-ray.
  3. Diagnostic and screening mammography.
  4. Ultrasound/Sonography, Ultrasound-guided biopsies.

The department also has a responsibility to maintain quality improvement procedures for radiology equipment and supplies.

For decades, surgery has been one among the main cancer treatment modalities. The operating room is well-equipped and ready around the clock for major surgeries including:-

  1. Laparotomies- General surgeries
  2. Major gynecologic surgeries
  3. Tumor excision surgery
  4. Skin grafting, Lipoma excision, major wound debridement
  5. Orchidectomy
  6. Other pelvic surgeries- Uro-surgery, Fistula repair etc.

There is also a minor operating theatre where all minor surgical procedures are performed.

Connectivity! Yes, we all need that in today’s rapidly evolving world. The department of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) functions as a hub which controls the flow of information within the hospital. It hosts the server which runs the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) known as “HealPro” through which all departments are interconnected. Needless to say, the ICT department also oversees the working of a modern communication device ‘PBX’ which controls hospital intercom through table phones available in all departments. It also ensures 24-hour internet connectivity with the hospital premises through a close collaboration with the provider. This enables paperless running of almost all hospital activities from registration to discharge of patients.

Through integration of the HIMS with the CRDB bank- so far the largest bank in the country and mobile service carriers, the ICT department has made it possible and more convenient for the patients and clients to pay for their bills from anywhere in the country using generated specific control numbers through the following financial service providers:-

  1. SIMBANKING USSD
  2. SIMBANKING MOB APP
  3. CRDB AGENTS/ CRB WAKALA (SMART POS)
  4. CRDB BRANCH (TELLER PORTAL)
  5. VODACOM (M-PESA)
  6. AIRTEL (AIRTEL MONEY)
  7. TIGO (TIGO PESA)

Safety and Effectiveness are our priorities. Our pharmacy is run by qualified and licensed pharmaceutical personnel who are part of the quality patient care team of the Good Samaritan Cancer Hospital.  We utilize a Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) system which is fully integrated with the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS). This allows for sending structured electronic prescriptions to the pharmacy for both inpatients and outpatients, thus maintaining an impeccable service provision platform.

In collaboration with the department of nursing and chemotherapy unit, our pharmacy offers the following services:-

  1. Storage of conventional and chemotherapeutic drugs
  2. Dispensing of medicines and supplies
  3. Dilution and titration of chemotherapeutic drugs
  4. Issuing of medicines and supplies to both outpatient and inpatient departments
  5. Offers advice on safe use and handling of medicines

 

 Our pharmacy operates around the clock

Our motto is ‘Total Quality Management through Strategic Service Delivery”. We focus on maintaining standards which make Good Samaritan Cancer Hospital- Ifakara a workplace of choice. We have built an environment that recognizes and appreciates the work and performance of our staff through ‘All are Equal’ policy. Recruitment is based on qualifications and experience while appraisal relies on the level of scrupulousness. We are implementing strategic management principles to ensure that not only we retain our esteemed staff, but we also encourage others to work with us. We believe workers satisfaction plays a tremendous role in performance.

The department of Human Resource Management has the following roles:

  1. Ensuring a conducive working environment for employees
  2. Addressing day-to-day issues concerning staff welfare
  3. Assessing the need and organization of staff recruitment procedure
  4. Defining rules, laws, regulations and policies of healthcare service provision

Planning for on-job staff training and seeking opportunities for off-site training to foster career excellence

Should you mention about cancer treatment, radiation therapy is inseparable! Defined as the treatment of cancer by using high energy ionizing radiation, radiotherapy can be divided into two types namely:-

  1. External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)
  2. Brachytherapy

The intent of administering radiotherapy can be either curative or palliative. Our department is equipped with modern machines which allow for a precise and accurate delivery of radiation to the intended body site while sparing the organs at risk. These are:-

  1. Varian Halcyon Linear Accelerator with 6MV FFF for EBRT

Being the only one of its kind in the country, and only three of them in the entire African continent, this machine allows our hospital to plan and deliver 3D-CRT, IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) and VMAT (Volumetric Arc Therapy).

2. GammaMedplus 3/24iX with Iridium- 192 Radioactive source for HDR Brachytherapy.

This machine has made our hospital become the first in the country to offer 3D Brachytherapy treatment to cervical cancer patients.

3. SOMATOM go. Up CT machine

Our SOMATOM go. UP CT machine is also used for CT simulation.

Our Inpatient Department (IPD) is simply a ‘home away’ for our patients. With the capacity of 100 beds, our hospital offers 24-hour quality health care services to all admitted patients.  We provide quality health care to patients admitted due to medical and surgical conditions. As a tertiary specialized hospital, our department is also ready around the clock to receive and care for cancer patients. Dedication and enthusiasm are our guiding principles to ensure we deliver the best health care service in line with international standards.

While we compete to none except ourselves, the IPD of Good Samaritan Cancer Hospital maintains the following values to ensure sustained growth of performance in service provision:-

 

  • Integrity

 Our dedicated staff utilizes professional probity to fulfill the fundamental ethical principles of access, equity and compliance.

  • Respect

We take into consideration all abilities and qualities of our patients in providing health care to restore the quality of life.

  • Quality

Our department works to attain the highest degree of excellence in service delivery.

Contact Information

OPENING HOURS

Outpatient Department

Monday – Friday: 8.00 am to 4.00 pm 

Saturdays, Sundays &  Holidays: 8.00 am to 1.00 pm  

 RADIOTHERAPY SERVICES

CT SIMULATION
3D-CRT RADIOTHERAPY
IMRT RADIOTHERAPY
VMART RADIOTHERAPY
3D HDR BRACHYTHERAPY

RADIOTHERAPY DEPARTMENT

MACHINES AT GSCH RADIOTHERAPY 

  • Varian Halcyon Linear Accelerator with 6MV FFF for External Beam Radiotherapy.

Our Halcyon LINAC is the only one in Tanzania among three in Africa, with our Halcyon LINAC we are  the first cancer hospital in Tanzania to do IMRT,Halcyon LINAC has quite system with smooth motion and easy access keeps patients relaxed and  focused, halcyon has unique MLC design enables high modulation with low leakage for every field or arc.

GammaMedplus 3/24iX with Iridium- 192 Radioactive source for cervical cancer Brachytherapy.

With our GammaMedPlus Brachytherapy machine we become the first Cancer Hospital in Tanzania to deliver 3D Brachytherapy Treatment to cervical cancer patients.

SOMATOM go. Up CT simulator for Ct simulation

It is one of the latest CT scans available in the market, at GSCH our SOMATOM go. UP give us an upper edge during CT Simulations