President Bola Tinubu has flagged off the Cancer Screening Centre at the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu in Ebonyi State.
The President also charged the university’s management to ensure the enhancement of cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment of Nigerians.
Represented by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, the president said that the centre will help in ending medical tourism usually embarked by Nigerians.
Umahi commended the hospital’s management for carrying out free dialysis services to the people of Nigeria, and expressed the confidence that the hospital will go a long way in restoring hope and confidence to the Nigerian people.
He also commended President Tinubu for donating a 2000 kilowatts of solar power to the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Unit of the hospital, noting that the unit in the university remains the only centre in the South-East and urged Nigerians to visit the hospital for their healthcare needs.
In her address, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South East), Mrs. Chioma Nweze described the flag-off of the cancer centre in Ebonyi State as a critical intervention designed to provide free medical services to the South-East zone, particularly to those who cannot afford healthcare services.
She noted that President Tinubu’s administration recognises that access to quality healthcare is a fundamental human right, and that it is the responsibility of his administration to ensure that every individual in the region has access to quality healthcare, regardless of their background or financial situation.
“Our Medical Outreach Initiative is a multifaceted programme that will provide a range of free medical services, including cancer screening for six months, free eye screening, and medical glasses to the first 200 patients.
“We will also provide dialysis treatment to patients for one year. These services will be delivered by a team of highly-trained medical professionals here at DUFUHS, using state-of-the-art equipment and facilities.
“As we launch this programme today, we do so with the conviction that every life is precious, and that every individual deserves access to quality healthcare.
“We believe that by working together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of our people, and create a healthier, more prosperous future for ourselves and generations to come,” Mrs. Nweze said.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Jessy Uneke said that the University’s cancer centre will operate with the use of advanced technology for diagnosis of cancer and related diseases.
He further stated that the centre will employ the latest experimental and methodological diagnostic techniques which include blood chemistry test, complete blood count, (CBC), cytogenetic analysis, among others.
Prof Uneke cited the World Health Organisation Global Cancer observation (GLOBOCON) report of 2022, that a total of 127, 763 number of new cases of cancer were reported in Nigeria, adding that of the number, 48, 096 (37.6%) were males while 79,667, (62.4%) were females.
He maintained that the report indicated the number of deaths to stand at 79, 542 of which 32, 905, (41.4%) were males while 46,637, (58.6%) were females.
He noted that the top three leading cancers in males in Nigeria ranked by the number of deaths are prostrate cancer, colorectum cancer, and liver cancer while breast cancer, Cervix uteri cancer and colorectum cancer are the top cancer cases responsible for death among females.
The Vice-Chancellor stated that a total of 207 cancer patients have so far been treated at the DUFUHS Cancer Centre from which 88 (42.5%) were males while 119, (57.5%) were females.
He also added that a total of 107 of the patients, representing 51.7% were between the ages of 40 and 69 years old.
