Nigerian Cancer Society (NCS) has said that the country is still behind in providing the needed equipment and facilities for treatment of cancer patients.
Dr Adamu Alhassan Umar, the President of NCS, said this
during a courtesy visit to the ultramodern Asi Ukpo Comprehensive Cancer Centre
in Calabar on Monday.
Adamu and his team of cancer experts, who commended the
leadership of the Centre for their efforts in addressing the scourge of cancer,
noted that the burden of cancer was still alarming in Nigeria.
He said that while the Federal Government has put up a
National Institute of Cancer Research and Treatment to enhance timely data
collection and advocacy, treatment was still very expensive not just for the
poor, but the rich too.
“We can address the fund gap by government doing the needful
in creating the right infrastructure and empowering organisations to push for
effective cancer care.
“The cancer health fund meant to cater for indigent breast,
cervical and prostate cancer patients should be expanded to accommodate more
cancers and more hospitals including private hospitals like Asi Ukpo
Comprehensive Cancer Centre.
“Part of our suggestions as a Civil Society Organisation
(CSO) is to have big cancer centres both public and privately owned, access
this fund so that vulnerable Nigerians can benefit,” he said.
On her part, Dr Aisha Mustapha, Chairperson, Medical Women
Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Kaduna Chapter, who was part of the team said
she was happy that a private facility could provide comprehensive cancer care
in Nigeria.
“I see a High Dynamic Range (HDR), brachytherapy machine and
a linac radiotherapy machine, which are state of the art,” she said.
Members of NCS being enlightened on how Asi Ukpo’s Computed
Tomography Simulator machine works during a tour of facilities in the Centre.
Mustapha, who is also a Cancer advocate and survivor,
asserted that if there were more centres like Asi Ukpo Comprehensive Cancer
Centre in Nigeria, it would help the teeming women who need proper and
effective cancer care.
Responding, Mr Yegwa Ukpo, Executive Director of the centre,
said he felt honoured by the visit of the society, adding that it was an
acknowledgement of the center’s contributions to the cancer space.
Ukpo, however, said it was not yet “uhuru” as they were
still looking at expanding the centre to become a one-stop-shop for cancer care
whether it is pediatric cancer, brachytherapy, surgeries and
even radiotherapy for non carcinogenic purposes.
He said that two major challenges they have had over the
years were patients not being able to afford cancer care while noting that they
were trying to see ways of linking to the Federal Government’s Cancer Health
Fund to make treatment more accessible.
The executive director added that funds to expand the centre
to a world class, one-stop-shop for cancer care was also a challenge they were
working hard and hoping to surmount.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that part of the
activities of the day included a tour of Asi Ukpo’s facilities and a decoration
of the executive director as a lifetime member of the NCS. NAN