The Federal Government of Nigeria has said it will soon lay the foundations for six new cancer treatment centres in teaching hospitals across the geopolitical zones of the country.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa had made the disclosure in Abuja on Tuesday during a ministerial press briefing planned by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in association with the National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment, NICRAT, to commemorate the 2024 World Cancer Day.
According to Alausa, “the centre will be instituted in the following hospitals: University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State (UNTH), Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria, Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Benin, Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) Jos, and Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Lagos, while University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) Maiduguri is being renovated.”
He explained that they would be set up with brachytherapy machines and other essential equipment.
Alausa also added that the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, would eventually manage funding for cancer care in the future, to prevent copying of roles in terms of purchase of services for all patients.
The minister remarked that the operational guideline of the NHIA Act was instituted to make way for full operationalisation of the act, adding that the guideline would also makes provision for funding for ‘at risk’ Nigerians including cancer patients.
