Hope beckons on prostate cancer patients as University of Benin Teaching (UBTH) and Federal Government plans to establish a brachytherapy centre for the treatment of the ailment.
A consultant Urologist at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Emmanuel Osaigbovo gave the hint during an interview with BusinessDay in Benin City.
“Brachytherapy is the recent machine used to treat early prostate cancer. Unfortunately this facility is not found in Nigeria.
“Happily, plans are underway by the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in collaboration with the federal government to build a brachytherapy center at the hospital,” he said.
Osaigbovo said the establishment of the brachytherapy centre is part of efforts to reduce medical tourism in the treatment of prostate cancer by Nigerians.
The immediate past chairman of Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Edo state chapter lamented that lack of brachytherapy center in the country has made patients to seek medical treatment abroad.
The consultant who noted that Nigerians have spent billions of naira for the treatment of cancer outside the country, however called for the establishment of brachytherapy center across the six geo-political zones in the country.
“I want to urge governments at all level to provide special treatment centers for prostate cancer in each of the six geopolitical zones, offer loans as well as create an enabling environment for investors to venture into healthcare sector in the country”,he said.
The consultant who urged governments, health professionals and other relevant stakeholders to come together to curb the menace of prostate cancer, however, enjoined governments to embark on aggressive awareness campaigns of prostate cancer like they did in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
“By the time the level of awareness is high, it will be easier to propagate health practices and our health indices will increase,” he stated.
While lamenting late-presentation of prostate cancer to medical personnel by patients, he explained that only five out of 100 percent patients come early for detection.
“Healthcare practices in Nigeria are bad, people still don’t visit hospitals for normal checkup; they only go to the hospital when they have symptoms and by the time prostate cancer starts giving you symptoms, it has advanced.
IDRIS UMAR MOMOH & CHURCHILL OKORO, BENIN
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