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.
