Cancer is real and it is very rampant now in every teaching hospitals and non-teaching hospitals in the country. One wonders why the ministry of health whose duty it is to monitor deceases in the country fail to notice the endemic proportion cancer decease has taken in recent times or is it because the decease has not affected our big men or their siblings? I feel it is very important to call the attention of whoever emerges as the minister of health in PMB’s second coming to the menace of cancer in our community. Complacency is not the answer, but proactive measures should be taken. It is very important to call the attention of the federal government to take a policy stand on cancer treatment as it has done in respect of HIV and AIDS.
It is surprising that the federal ministry of health is keeping quiet as almost 20/30% of able body men and women in Nigeria are affected by one kind of cancer or the other while the ministry concentrates on treatment of HIV and AIDS. I hereby call the attention of health authorities to commission a survey of people living with cancer in Nigeria immediately in order to accommodate them in the health policy of the federal government. This I-don’t-care attitude of our leaders to the welfare of the masses should stop. In my hospital survey, I found out that many people were diagnosed to have appendix or hernia for a very long time, like six months, but have no money to pay like between N30,000 and N40,000 for operation. They subsequently wait for their death because they have no money for a minor operation of appendix or hernia. These are the kinds of things the poor are suffering. Let whoever becomes health minister make operation of appendix and hernia free nationwide, in order to reduce the number of people on death roll.
- Israel Oyegbile
Sabon Tasha, Kaduna
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