The continuous rise in Cancer statistics in Bauchi State has become a source of a nightmare to the members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, BAHA forcing them to pass a resolution for the establishment of Cancer Units in Specialists Hospital and General Hospitals in the state.
Hon Bello Jadori, Gamawa Constituency, who sponsored the motion for the establishment of Cancer Units in Bauchi State’s tertiary healthcare providing centres on Wednesday’s plenary of the Assembly presided over by the Speaker of the House Hon Abubakar Sulaiman, said that a cancer statistics from the Abubabakar Tafwabalewa University Teaching Hospital Bauchi indicated that on average, the hospital diagnoses five cancer patients weekly.
“What will happen in Specialist Hospital, General Hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres in the State if diagnostic equipment will be made available?” the lawmaker enquired with his loudest voice.
Hon Bello explained that if established, the centres will greatly work to ensure proper management of Cancer-related ailments in the state by 80 percent.
In his submission, Hon Saleh Hodi Jibir, Disina Constituency, lamented how the short supply of Cancer treatment centres in the state inflict untold sufferings to Bauchi Cancer patients leading to their premature and untimely death.
“In Bauchi, there is only one Cancer Centre which belongs to the federal government. We need to have centres owned by the State Government to reduce the prevalence of the disease. The condition touches everyone,” he said.
Hon Saleh further observed that lack of awareness on the disease as well as stereotyping believe prevalent among people that the monster is incurable add to the complexity of Cancer escalation among the people of Bauchi State.
WikkiTimes reports that after a long debate on the motion, the House resolved that the Bauchi State Executive Council establish ‘Cancer management Centers’ in the Specialists and General Hospitals in the state. The lawmakers asked the House Committee on Health to draft a bill for a Cancer Law.
Cancer is the number one cause of death in Nigeria with an estimated 72,000 deaths annually and 102,000 diagnoses out of the total projected population of the country of 200 million people.
