BEVERLY HILLS, December 22, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has declared on Friday that the National Hospital, Abuja, has been equipped with the installation of a new Multileave Linear Accelerator, LINAC machine, which enables it to treat 100 cancer patients daily.
This was made known in press release signed by the Health Ministry’s Director, Media and Public Relations, Mrs. Boade Akinola, following the inauguration of the radiotherapy centre at the Hospital.
Akinola noted that the centre, which was declared open by the wife of the vice-president, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, is a sign of government’s commitment to providing succour for people suffering from breast cancer adding that screening equipment that are geared towards the prevention of cancer in the country were also provided.
Speaking at the commissioning, Mrs. Osinbajo lauded the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health and that of the hospital management for making the facility a reality.
She described the deaths of Nigerian women due to breast cancer as unimaginable, noting that the Buhari administration would ensure delivery of qualitative health care in the country.
“I look forward to a day that the cure for breast cancer shall finally come; but I am delighted that despite limited resources, the country is taking giant strides in the right direction,” she was quoted as saying.
“With the installation of the machine, there is hope for cancer patients, as they will be helped with the facility,” she said.
On his part, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, decried what he described as ‘the decay’ in medical infrastructure inherited by the Buhari administration, especially in terms of equipment, logistics and foreign relations with international partners.
“My ministry fast-tracked the construction of two bunkers instead of a single unit that was intended, as these would accommodate more than one radiotherapy machines as time goes on,” he said.
“We also replaced the non-functional components of the equipment, did the upgrading, the increment in bandwidth capacity and eventual installation of the radiotherapy machine.
“The ministry also saw to the training of medical staff in South Africa. This will minimise the burden of cancer and associated death rates, what with the positive effects the machine will have on other vital organs of the body when precise diagnosis is carried out.”
Adewole noted that with the inauguration of the new radiotherapy equipment, the National Hospital, Abuja, can now treat about 100 cancer patients daily, using the machine.
“Again, the urge and zeal for medical tourism will be on the decline, as the newly installed machine is one of the most advanced and sophisticated technologies in the world, with high standard ratings when compared with what obtains in Europe, India and South Africa,” Adewole said.
