Tijuana, June 1.- The linear accelerator at the Oncology Medical Specialties Unit (Uneme) in Mexicali was updated and modernized because the equipment, due to years of use, needed to undergo a maintenance process to avoid indefinite failure, the Baja California Health Secretariat announced Tuesday.
The head of the state agency, Alonso Pérez Rico, explained that there are only two "linear accelerators" in Baja California: one at the Uneme Oncology Center in Mexicali and the other at Clinic 20 of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Tijuana.
The equipment installed at the Uneme in Mexicali is an integrated radiotherapy platform that can treat tumors and tissues in motion with unparalleled levels of precision and speed. From January 1 to April 12, 2021, the unit treated 2,610 cancer patients.
The studies and procedures performed during this period included malignant breast tumor, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, malignant tumor of the bronchi and lung, esophageal tumor, malignant tumor of the cervix, and malignant tumor of the lymph nodes of the head, face, and neck, among others.
Pérez Rico stated that treatment services were discontinued as of April 13 of this year, as this equipment began operating in 2010 and required technical maintenance and software updates.
He reported that the configuration of digital instruments was completed, including the Millennium (MLC 120); PortalVision aS1000; four ARIA stations; an Eclipse calculation station; and an Eclipse contouring station.
He explained that the upgrade project began on April 12 and concluded on May 31; he reiterated that the linear accelerator equipment resumed operations this Tuesday. In the last six weeks, the parts for its installation have been received, and a technical team from abroad has trained medical and administrative staff to use it more efficiently and effectively.
The Secretary of Health in Baja California indicated that the "linear accelerator" is being calibrated for the required medical precision, and that the equipment is undergoing an ongoing process of renewal and updating to provide service for several years.
