Arrixaca Hospital, Murcia, Oncology Upgrades

THE radiation oncology service has been improved in the hospital Virgen de Arrixaca in Murcia with the addition of two new linear accelerators. These machines aim radiation at cancer tumors with pinpoint accuracy sparing nearby healthy tissue. The new LINAC machines will reduce the time and number of sessions administered which will cause fewer trips by patients and fewer side effects. The Minister of Health Juan José Pedreño visited the hospital facilities and highlighted the advantages of the new machines he said ‘it means being able to attend to more patients and shortening waiting lists’. The investment for these two machines amounts to about €6.8m contributed by the Murcian Health Service, the Amancio Ortega Foundation, and Inveat funds. Approximately €5m will be added to this for two more LINAC machines due to arrive in the following weeks. This will mean that Arrixaca Hospital will have a total of five of these machines as they already had one previously.