SAFAR, 27 1429 A.H.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5 2008
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Why women cannot treat cancer
Dr Abdulrasaq Oyesegun, Consultant Radiotherapist and Oncologist, has said the high cost of treatment, rather than the lack of facilities, was responsible for the inability of women to access cancer treatment.
Oyesegun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja that the National Hospital, Abuja, among other leading hospitals, was equipped for early detection of the disease.
He said they also had qualified personnel for the treatment.
``The treatment for cancer is very expensive, most women cannot afford it. Women in the rural areas are the most affected,'' he said.
Oyesegun, who works at the National Hospital, also said most drugs for the treatment were available in the hospitals and leading pharmacies in the country.
``As long as the individual takes the drugs religiously, such a person can live up to a certain number of years.
He said considering the high cost of managing cancer and the economic status of most Nigerian women, governments at all levels should supplement its treatment for affected women.
``We want the federal government to include the treatment of cancer in the National Health Insurance Scheme in order to assist those, who cannot afford it,'' he said.
He said that the consumption of alcohol and the lack of physical exercises, among other factors, could also expose women to cancer.
