National Hospital, Abuja set to offer quality cancer treatment — CMD

The National Hospital, Abuja on Friday said that it is set to offer quality cancer treatment at subsidised rate of $2, 000 to indigent Nigerians.

Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Jaf Momoh, made this known on Friday in Abuja at the launch of the second linear accelerator radiotherapy machine at the hospital.

The machine was donated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) and is a device commonly used for external beam radiation treatment on cancer patients.

The device delivers high-energy x-ray or electrons to the patient’s tumour region.

Momoh, therefore, said that with the launch of the second linear accelerator radiotherapy machine, the hospital is poised towards effective and efficient
treatment of cancer.

He added that “instead of going to other countries to spend $10, 000, Nigerians will now spend less than $2, 000 and we have provisions for indigent patients. The state-of-the-act equipment is the best you can find anywhere in the world in terms of speed, durability and ruggedness, and patients will no longer be interrupted during routine equipment maintenance.

“The first radiotherapy machine was inaugurated in 2000, where 850 patients were treated in 20 months with over 25, 000 cycles of radiotherapy sessions. The difference with the one we use to have is that it takes about 15 minutes for each round of treatment, but with the two equipment, it will now take just two minutes for a round of treatment.”

The chief medical director explained that six cancer centres were now being upgraded in the country, including the National Hospital Abuja, adding that the hospital presently has two functional radiotherapy equipment.

He said that the centre would also screen patients who undergo treatment with the machine to know the state of their condition, while on maintenance, he said that the hospital has an agreement with the manufacturers of the machine for routine maintenance by engineers.

He advised Nigerians to modify their lifestyles to prevent the ailment, noting that treatment was not enough because “treatment of the condition is not enough; we must prevent diseases from happening such as early diagnosis,
life style modification by doing exercise and eating right, as well as regular medical check-up.”

Managing Director of JNC International, Turkey Medical Equipment Services, Clare Omatseye said “Nigeria loses about a billion dollars annually on medical tourism.”

Omatseye added that many Nigerians travel abroad on medical tourism, mostly for cancer treatment and cardiovascular diseases, saying that the National Hospital, Abuja would soon make a difference in cancer treatment.

According to her, about 70 per cent of cancer patients need radiotherapy, noting that the machine has high capacity to accommodate more patients as the scanning time is shorter with better accuracy.

She explained that the organs of patients would not be at risk during treatment, as the dose of radiation would go straight to the tumours, while preventing other cancers from developing.

Chairperson of the governing board of the hospital, Patricia Etteh commended the NNPC and SNEPCo for the donation of the equipment, admitting that the machine would go a long way in detecting and eradicating cancer and other diseases.

She said that “cancer is a public health issue affecting large number of the Nigerian population. This has shown that the National Hospital, Abuja is responsible, capable, responsive and prompt in giving attention to
the treatment of the disease.”