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:-
Recording of vital signs and biometric parameters
General and Specialist Consultations
Physical examination
Cancer screening
Health education
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:
Computed Tomography:- CT-Scan machine unit:- Used for diagnostic scan and CT
simulation.
Plain radiography- (X-ray) machine with CR system.
Mammography machine.
Ultrasound machine:- with Doppler function, linear and curvilinear transducer,
endocavitary and cardiac probes.
Our services:
The department of radiology offers the following services:-
Computed Tomography: CT-Scan and CT-guided biopsy.
Conventional radiography:- All types of diagnostic x-ray.
Speaking of multimodal cancer management, surgery cannot be left aside. 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:-
Laparotomies- General surgeries
Major gynecologic surgeries
Tumor excision surgery
Skin grafting, Lipoma excision, major wound debridement
Orchidectomy
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:-
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:-
Storage of conventional and chemotherapeutic drugs
Dispensing of medicines and supplies
Dilution and titration of chemotherapeutic drugs
Issuing of medicines and supplies to both outpatient and inpatient departments
Offers advice on safe use and handling of medicines
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:
Ensuring a conducive working environment for employees
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:-
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT)
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:-
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).
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.
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.
Good Samaritan Cancer Hospital is equipped with a state-of-the-art ICU that is designed to improve efficiency and quality of care whilst reducing the risk of errors and ensuring that all patients are in a safe and comfortable environment for rapid recovery. The ICU is run by a team of experts who are committed to giving patients the best care with great precision.
Chemotherapy is a type of cancer treatment where medicine is used to kill the cancer cells. It does this by damaging them so they cannot reproduce and spread.
At Good Samaritan Cancer Hospital we offer a cutting-edge chemotherapy service. Our multi-disciplinary team of clinical oncologists, pharmacists and chemotherapy nurses is trained to the highest level and aims at providing a chemotherapy treatment service that equals the best national and international standards.
Chemotherapy administration through infusion pumps is done only on week days (Monday-Friday) starting from 8:00am to 4:00pm, night hours and weekends are for extended infusions only.
Brachytherapy is a form of radiotherapy where a sealed radiation source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment.
Our brachytherapy unit at GSCH is equipped with GammaMedPlus 3/24 iX machine with Iridium 192 radiation source.
Our machine is mainly used for treatment of Cervical Cancer and we have become the first centre in Tanzania to provide 3D brachytherapy planning for cervical cancer patients at affordable cost.
While a good doctor has to make a correct diagnosis before proceeding to treatment, the use of laboratory services to aid in diagnosis is imperative in hospitals. This is especially important in a cancer care institute. Here at Good Samaritan Cancer Hospital laboratory, we offer laboratory diagnostic services divided into five units namely; Histopathology, Parasitology, Hematology, Blood Transfusion, Clinical Chemistry, Immunology and Mortuary. All laboratory units, with the exception of mortuary, are located within the Diagnostic Building. We understand that providing timely high quality results is critical, thus, we have set friendly and implementable Standard Operating Procedures as our guide to achieve client satisfaction.
Our laboratory also offers referral laboratory services for tests lacking in other Health Institutions in the region. The laboratory is served by qualified pathologists, Laboratory technologists and technicians in all laboratory disciplines. The department is computerized and results are posted in HMS for clinicians to view results online while in the wards or clinics. To ensure efficiency in reports dispatch, the department uses a laboratory information system (LIS).
Histopathology and Cytopathology Unit
The unit has the capacity of processing tissue biopsies and surgical specimens, and further staining. In conjunction with best management practices, we produce quality results for biopsies. Cytology samples such as Pap smears, Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA), fluid Cytology, Exfoliative Cytology samples are processed and reported.
Parasitology Unit
This unit is responsible for diagnosis of most parasitic organisms in urine, stool and blood. For malaria diagnosis both rapid and conventional test methods are applied.
Hematology and Blood Transfusion Unit.
Haematology unit is responsible for analyzing samples of patients requested by clinicians such as full blood picture (FBP) in anemic patients to find out the cause of anemia, Erythrocyte Segmentation Rate (ESR) and other tests for blood related diseases including blood cancers whereas blood Transfusion Unit deals with pre and post donation counseling of blood donors. The section also deals with screening of all internally donated blood for HIV, Hepatitis B and C and Syphilis . Furthermore, this section is responsible for storing and issuing safe and screened blood to all patients in need of blood within the hospital.
Clinical Chemistry Unit.
This unit has semi-automated and sophisticated machines including a State of Art Maglumi 600 machine capable of analyzing immunological, hormonal assays, fertility and thyroid function. This machine is interfaced with HMS and results are viewed immediately by clinicians.
Mortuary Unit.
This unit has 1 modern fridge capable of preserving 3 bodies at a time and two washing tables.