Around 20 cancer patients who receive radiotherapy will be sent to Rome by the end of this week to continue their treatment, Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre chair has confirmed.

Meanwhile, Technoline, which maintains the equipment, said it was not responsible for damage to the equipment.

Radiotherapy services had to be suspended following a technical fault in equipment at the oncology centre and seven of the most urgent cancer patients were flown to Rome on Wednesday.

Initial investigations suggest the fault in the linear accelerators, the machines that provide radiotherapy treatment, was discovered in the cooling system which regulates the engine powering the machine.

By Saturday, all category one patients accepting to travel should have been sent over to Rome for the continuation of treatment there- Oncology chairperson Nicholas Refalo

Oncology Department chairperson Nicholas Refalo said patients had been categorised according to how critical interruption of treatment would be to their overall result. Category one patients are most sensitive.

“Currently, we have identified around 20 category one patients for transfer, so long as patients accept to be sent abroad and this is deemed practical,” the oncology consultant told Times of Malta.

More patients are due to fly out on Thursday and Friday.

“By Saturday, all category one patients accepting to travel should have been sent over to Rome for the continuation of treatment there,” he said.

Refalo said some patients had declined to travel, mostly due to impracticality or for other medical reasons.

Hope for one machine back next week

Between 60 and 80 patients undergo radiotherapy sessions on a daily basis. Usually, patients have repeated treatments over a period of three weeks.

The government will fund all travel and accommodation costs for each patient and an accompanying person.

Refalo said it was unclear what had caused the failure in the equipment, adding that, currently, all three linear accelerators are down.

“We are hoping to have one machine back on by early to mid-next week and if this is so then we will be able to proceed with treatments and make corrections for the interruption,” he said.

“If a machine is not up and running by next week, then we will have to consider sending more patients abroad.”

Technoline says damage not its responsibility

Technoline said it had lived up to its contractual obligations on both “preventative and corrective maintenance” on the equipment.

A legal representative of the company said there are technicians available around the clock and all maintenance is regularly carried out by Technoline and coordinated with the department of oncology.

He said the linear accelerators were purchased by the department of health following a tender process back in 2014, from the company Ergon Projects Limited.

Technoline and the manufacturer are doing their utmost to ensure it is operational as fast as possible- Technoline spokesperson

“This company is not part of Technoline nor are Technoline officials involved in this company,” he said.

“Ergon subcontracted Technoline to provide maintenance only to the linear accelerators and not any ancillary equipment used in the function and operation of the said item.”

All other auxiliary equipment was bought by Ergon from third parties unknown and unconnected with Technoline, he added.

He said preventative maintenance is pre-scheduled with the oncology department three times a year for each linear accelerator. The last one was held on July 16.

He claimed the linear accelerators suffered damage as a result of faults in the controlled environment, which is not under the responsibility of Technoline.

Ergon must “live up to its responsibility and repristinate the controlled environment within which the machines are to operate”.

Ergon has to ensure that the ancillary equipment it owns and maintains is operational as should be, he added.

Technoline and the manufacturer of the equipment are assessing any damage sustained by the machines and “are doing their utmost” to ensure it is operational as fast as possible, “yet totally dependent on what Ergon shall be doing”.

Questions were sent to Ergon by email on Tuesday but no replies were received.