The Executive Director of Meena Breast Cancer Foundation (MBCF), Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng has called on government to make breast cancer treatment free.
Mr. Kwarteng who was appalled at the surge in patients’ mortality attributed it to their inability to settle the huge cost of treatment.
He was making the call at an MBCF-organized press conference in Accra on the state of breast cancer care in the country.
Globally, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women. In Africa, it is the most commonly diagnosed cancer annually with over eighty thousand deaths.
At an alarming rate, Ghana recorded four thousand four hundred and eighty-two deaths.
Addressing the press, Mr. Kwarteng entreated government to make breast cancer treatment easily accessible to reduce the high rate of deaths.
To this effect, he appealed to government to absorb the cost of treatment since mostly poor people fall victim to the disease.
“The cost of Chemotherapy varies depending on where and when a person is getting treatment; Ghc 350 with insurance coverage and Ghc 700 without insurance. When it comes to surgery the cost varies from Ghc 5,000 to Ghc 6,000 without insurance cover. How many people can pay?
“When you consider the treatment journey, from biopsy, pathology, and mammogram to chemotherapy, it is a long torturous journey. How many people can pay the cost involved in the travel trajectory? It is a lot. Why would patience therefore not die? When you begin treatment and you get stuck in the middle you would not be able to pursue the other treatments. It means you will have to die,” he explained.
Mr. Kwarteng also bemoaned the inadequate facilities and equipment, which usually break down due to overuse. This he said makes treatment difficult to access.
He urged government to provide state-of-the-art facilities and advanced equipment that could treat complicated issues.
“Inadequate facilities at our hospitals have had a significant negative effect on the treatment of breast cancer. Lack of enough diagnostic and treatment machines usually delays treatment, causing patients’ conditions to worsen, as they have to wait for more than a month or two after surgery to access the radiotherapy machine. Sometimes, even the few machines available break down leaving parents stranded,” he noted.
Meena Breast Cancer Foundation (MBCF) in its own capacity is constructing a breast cancer centre to provide minor treatment and counseling to patients.
