The Federal Government has unveiled a state-of-the-art oncology centre at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, to tackle cancer cases in northern Nigeria.
The oncology centre, inaugurated through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, will focus on the study, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cancer.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the oncology centre was among the three centres to be inaugurated on Thursday in Katsina, Enugu and Edo States.
He said Nigeria accounts for 127,000 cases of cancer, with 80,000 deaths annually, hence the construction and equipping of the oncology centres in the three states to tackle the scourge.
He added that apart from the three oncology centres inaugurated in the states, the Federal Government remains committed to building additional three cancer treatment centres in other regions of the country.
He stressed that the Federal Government, in partnership with development partners, would expand and provide 350,000 diagnostic centres across Nigeria for early detection and treatment of the non-communicable diseases.
“So that we can detect cancers early and make them much more treatable because if cancers are detected late, even if there is treatment, it may be too late to have the benefits of that treatment,” he added.
The minister noted that 500 clinicians would be trained by the Federal Government in addition to the existing ones to provide cancer treatment to patients in the oncology centres.
In his remarks, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Chief Wale Edun, described the Katsina, Edo and Enugu oncology centres as major milestones in healthcare and national development.
He explained that the state-of-the-art oncology centres mark a significant step forward in the Federal Government’s efforts of building a healthcare system that delivers results for all Nigerians.
He stated that the centres would provide world-class healthcare opportunities for Nigerians and tackle ‘japa’ syndrome, as well as have the ability to work with world-class technology and conduct global research.
On his part, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi, said the inauguration of the oncology centres underscores President Bola Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to addressing Nigerians’ health challenges.
He described the Katsina oncology centre as the world-class cancer treatment centre, and urged Nigerians to patronise the centre for diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
He said President Tinubu has taken bold and courageous decisions not to hurt Nigerians, but to revamp the nation’s economy and address its challenges.
“What we are witnessing today is just one of the several steps that Mr. President is offering to Nigerians so that we can have the prosperity that he promised when he took office at the beginning,” the minister said.
