Kebbi Marks World Cancer, Urges Regular Check Ups

By Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi As the world marks world Cancer Day, the Kebbi State Government has restated it’s Commitment in creating more awareness towards ensuring early detection and treatment of cancer in the state and Nigeria as a whole. The Government sympathises with those affected and commends the hard-working men and women in our state and elsewhere to draw attention and find succour to those affected. We commend President Muhammadu Buhari , GCFR who in addition to approving the creation of treatment centers, have recently signed the 2020 Budget which include for the first time in Nigeria’s history a catastrophic fund to help those devastated by cancer. Giant strides have been made in cancer control by the government of Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu whilst a lot much are unveiling in the near future Kebbi State created a cancer registry and a modest catastrophic fund. Equally agreements on treatment intervention has been agreed with a major drug company. Indeed, our state has benefitted from the outstanding advocacy and activitsm on cancer of Her Excellency, the wife of the Governor , Dr. Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, a director of the Union for International Cancer Control, and the health team in the state who have been mobilized. Some other achievements recorded so far include a cancer control plan which has been completed. The document has been evaluated and endorsed by WHO, Clinton Health Initiative CHAI, and the UICC. Formal launch and take off is expected in March 2020 although parts of it are already being implemented. A chemotherapy ward is in final stages of set up in Kebbi Medical Center. The laboratory in KMC is being upgraded to diagnose cancer so that cases in Kebbi can be diagnosed to avoid the need to travel out of state. Also, radio-diagnostic facilities in the state are finally being put in place. To this end outstanding contract sums from previous administration to the tune of N200M has been paid for completion of the radiology unit in Kalgo, delivery of outstanding equipment and completion of site preparation. In order to ensure best practices for the new facilities, A 5 day training for laboratory technicians across the entire state was held early this year. Still on human capacity, Kebbi state is sponsoring doctors and nurses in oncology training in Nigeria and Sudan. Meanwhile, recruitment of radiology consultants is on going. With regards treatment, a top equipment manufacturer sponsored staff of ministry of health to the Arab equipment fair in Dubai in a bid to procure cancer diagnosis and treatment equipment. It is worth mentioning that the ministry of health including the permanent secretary Alh Hassan Maigandi was part of the Arab Fair. The indigent cancer fund of 10m approved by His Excellency Governor Abubakar Bagudu was accessed by a total of 62 patients with various cases of cancer. It was managed by the cancer registry director in sir Yahaya Memorial hospital, Dr M Ambursa. Aside from this, the state government regularly gives approvals for cancer patients on compassionate grounds.