CMD seeks support for cancer patients

JOHNSON OJO, Ado Ekiti

Chief Medical Director of Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, Dr Adekunle Ajayi, has urged well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of cancer patients in view of the high cost of treatment.

Ajayi said: “Treatment of the scourge is expensive. This has made it imperative for kind-hearted and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid by giving them assistance in the course of treatment”.

The CMD spoke at Ido Ekiti during a public lecture entitled: “Fighting the scourge of cancer In Nigeria” organised by Nigerian Medical Association (National Committee on Cancer) in partnership with FETHI to commemorate the 2019 World Cancer Day.

Ajayi, who lauded choice of FETHI as venue of the programme, said: “This hospital has able hands who have been going to different communities to sensitise the people and offer free screening exercises on cancer”.

According to him, FETHI goes on outreach services at least twice in a week as part of her core duties to make quality healthcare services delivery readily available for people at the grassroots, who perhaps are indigent.

Guest speaker and consultant anatomic pathologist, Dr Abidemi Omonisi, said if breast, cervix and prostrate cancers could be fought to a standstill, the prevalence of cancer would drop drastically in Nigeria.

Omonisi, who is Director of Ekiti State Cancer Registry, while analysing the established environmental and genetic causes of human cancer, said “industrial chemicals, asbestos fibres, radiation, pesticides, drugs, diet and chromosomal instability can all lead to cancers.

“Early screening should thus be encouraged as one of the ways to stem the spread of cancers,” he said, listing other preventive measures to include health education, setting up and funding of cancer registry, taking rainbow diets (balanced diets), reduction in unhealthy lifestyle, self examination of breast and other parts of the body and creating a policy that will promote easy access to affordable treatment and research, among others.

For a better society