World Cancer Day: Expert Decries Insufficient Treatment Centres.

By Murtala Muhammad

A Consultant Gynecologist with Bauchi State Specialist Hospital, Dr. Habiba Ismail has decried insufficient cancer treatment centres in the northern part of the country.

She made the lamentation in an interview with Radio Nigeria in Bauchi on the occasion of World Cancer Day.

Dr. Habiba Ismail said of all the nineteen states in the north, the only functional Cancer treatment centre is that of the National Hospital Abuja, stressing the need for government at all levels to do the needful to arrest the problem.

She called on individuals particularly the politicians to procure Radiotherapy machines in their respective states with a view to ameliorating the suffering of their people.

Dr. Habiba said the most prevalent among women in Bauchi State are Breast and Cervical Cancers, while men do come with Prostate cancer.

According to her prevention for Breast and Cervical cancers are of three levels – primary, secondary and tertiary, which comprised sensitisation or awareness creation, undergoing screening for every three months and vaccine for girls within the ages of nine to twenty six.

Dr. Habiba Ismail who is also the Chairman Medical Advisory Council in the State Specialist Hospital, urged women to ensure regular medical checks for early detection and treatment of cancer.

This year’s theme for World Cancer Day is “Closing the Care Gap”.