By Chika Onyesi
The Nigerian Medical Association has urged
Governments at all levels to as a matter of urgency develop effective cancer
prevention and control strategies to reverse the rising trend of cancer among
Nigerians.
The urgent call is part of resolutions reached at a
national executive council meeting of the association held in Uyo recently.
The council noted that incidents of cancer in
Nigeria has greatly increased and is nearing alarming proportions.
NMA President, Dr Francis Adedayo Faduyile, who
informed the press of the associations’ resolutions, said a cancer-free society
could be achieved through significant action from concerned stakeholders.
‘‘Nigeria’s does not have enough equipment to
diagnose cancer, not enough facilities to cater for those who have cancer, we
have only about two or three functional radio therapy machines across the
country and some people die while they are waiting for treatment’’
The association is also advocating for cancer
treatment to be added to the national health insurance scheme considering that
chemotherapies and radiotherapies are capital intensive and not many can afford
the out of pocket expenditure required.
‘‘Once cancer
is added to the NHIS bouquet it will ease the amount of money that patients pay
to access treatment, we need the government at the NHIS to cushion the effect
of the financial burden of patience who have cancer’’
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| Dr Francis Adedayo Faduyile, NMA President |
Dr. Faduyile also noted that the absence of a
national policy on mandatory cancer reporting, absence of legislation to
curtail exposure to environmental carcinogens including tobacco smoke and
industrial pollution, are all factors increasing the incidents of cancer”
‘‘He said Health Insurance is key to providing
solution for accessible, affordable and sustainable healthcare delivery for all
Nigerians’’
The medical association has also appealed to
Governments to ensure that yellow fever vaccine is readily available for the
immunization of all Nigerians especially at the epidemic zone.
They want agencies involved in fighting viral
haemorrhagic diseases as well as yellow fever to ‘‘work swiftly to curtail the
spread and prevent further outbreaks of the disease in Nigeria’’
‘‘The NEC notes the recent outbreak of yellow fever
in seven states in Nigeria, namely FCT, Kogi, Anambra, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Edo
and Benue, the country has been experiencing sporadic outbreaks of yellow fever
since September 2017’’
Meanwhile, cancer and yellow fever are not the only
health care challenges the association is worried about.
The NMA’s executive council is concerned that the
State Health Insurance Schemes may have been compromised following its
activation of very low fees without the input of body of doctors.
“While capitation for NHIS is N750 and we are
complaining, some states are paying less than N500 which is not even enough for
ordinary diseases not to talk of lab investigations’’ Faduyile said.
They have directed all doctors not to participate in
the scheme until there is meaningful engagement between the government and
stakeholders on ‘‘workable, beneficial and sustainable terms and conditions
acceptable to all parties’’.
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