Despite the increase in cancer patients, it is alarming to find out that there are only 2 radiotherapy machines working in the whole country!
Radiation therapy comes up during the course of treating cancer patients as high-energy radiation is used to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells through X-rays, gamma rays and charged particles.
This may be via a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy), or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body near cancer cells (internal radiation therapy, also called brachytherapy).
Unfortunately, most of such machines being used are either working at half capacity or have totally packed up. At the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, Consultant Oncologist, Dr Mohammed Habbebu said the radiotherapy machine at the hospital broke down as a result of overuse.
He also said there are only 7 of such machines in the country and only 2 are currently working ; one in a private hospital and the other in a government hospital.
I guess this explains the high rate of deaths from cancer in recent times due to the fact that patients don't even have access to the required treatment! Meanwhile the radiation machine costs between the range of 10 Million -2 Billion Naira. I hope government pays attention to this issue and even wealthy individuals that can support in their own way.
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