- Title: GHANA: Ghanaians grapple with high cost of cancer treatment
- Date: 23rd August 2010
- Summary: ACCRA, GHANA (RECENT - AUGUST 19, 2010) (REUTERS) SIGN READING IN ENGLISH "NATIONAL CENTRE FOR RADIOTHERAPY & NUCLEAR MEDICINE" PATIENTS SEATED VARIOUS OF BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR, COMFORT OWUSU, READING A BOOK (SOUNDBITE) (English) BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR COMFORT OWUSU, SAYING: "I was on the bed when a junior doctor told me that, 'Madam, do you know you have cancer?' It was just that. Honestly, that broke me down. And I felt that was going to be the end of my life, it wasn't easy for me. Right from there I think I started having some psychological problem." VARIOUS OF PATIENT LYING UNDER A RADIOTHERAPY MACHINE AND MEDICAL STAFF OPERATING MACHINE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BREAST CANCER PATIENT LILIAN BADDOO, SAYING: "Normally when you tell people it looks as if they put a stigma on you and some even go to the extend to insult you with it. And if you don't tell anybody, nobody knows anything. So you are free." VARIOUS OF NURSE CHECKING BLOOD PRESSURE OF CERVIVAL CANCER PATIENT AGNES DONYO (SOUNDBITE) (Twi) CERVIVAL CANCER PATIENT AGNES DONYO, SAYING: "Money is my problem at the moment. The debt I owe here I cannot pay, so I couldn't do some of the treatment, that is the greatest problem I am facing." VARIOUS OF GEORGE DAKPALLAH, DIRECTOR AT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, AT HIS DESK (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR AT THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, GEORGE DAKPALLAH, SAYING: "From time to time, government also sponsors some of these patients, either locally or outside, to have some treatment. But I believe it will take us a bit of time before we can arrive at a situation where the costs of treating these cases would be quite manageable to the general population." DR. CLEMENT EDUSA FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF RADIOTHERAPY AT KORLE-BU HOSPITAL TALKING TO A PATIENT IN HIS CONSULTATION ROOM DR. EDUSA OPENING MEDICAL REPORT (SOUNDBITE) (English) DR. CLEMENT EDUSA FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF RADIOTHERAPY AT KORLE-BU HOSPITAL, SAYING: "Unfortunately here, the first place of call is either your pastor in church who would send you to a prayer camp, work you off, two, three weeks before they send you to the hospital, or most of times the traditional healers who also give herbal concoctions which also most of times don't work. So that person is delayed in the process of treatment." VARIOUS OF MONITOR SHOWING PATIENT IN RADIOTHERAPY MACHINE DR. EDUSA EXAMINING PATIENT ON RADIOTHERAPY MACHINE
- Embargoed: 7th September 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ghana
- Country: Ghana
- Reuters ID: LVA30PLYH4173Q0VHI0MX8U683RE
- Story Text: Africa is dealing with new health issues in the 21st century with different types of cancer becoming increasingly prevalent. In Ghana, one of the most medically advanced countries on the continent, patients still struggle with the cost of cancer treatment and many medical facilities are not equipped to provide the care needed.
Cases of cancer are rising in Ghana and treatment centres like the National Centre for Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine at the Korle-Bu hospital in the capital Accra are getting busier.
Focus on medical aid and treatment in Africa has traditionally been on diseases like Malaria and AIDS, but cancer is now affecting almost as many people on the continent as other illnesses.
Experts classify cancer as an emerging disease in Africa and say it appears in over 200 different types making it even more complex to deal with.
For cancer patients in Ghana, the high cost of treatment, stigmatization and lack of medical facilities add onto the fears of having a life threatening disease.
Comfort Owusu is a breast cancer patient in Accra.
"I was on the bed when a junior doctor told me that, 'Madam, do you know you have cancer?' It was just that. Honestly, that broke me down. And I felt that was going to be the end of my life, it wasn't easy for me. Right from there I think I started having some psychological problem."
Lilian Baddoo, another breast cancer patient, said one way to avoid the stigma is not to tell anybody about the illness.
"Normally when you tell people it looks as if they put a stigma on you and some even go to the extend to insult you with it. And if you don't tell anybody, nobody knows anything. So you are free."
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ghana can expect an estimated 50,000 cancer cases each year.
If detected early, cancer can be curable. But basic radiotherapy treatment costs between 500-1000 U.S. dollars and chemotherapy together with other additional treatment costs between 20-30,000 U.S. dollars -- costs that are beyond reach for most people.
"Money is my problem at the moment. The debt I owe here I cannot pay, so I couldn't do some of the treatment, that is the greatest problem I am facing," said Agnes Donyo, a cervical cancer patient.
Access to health care in Ghana is variable with urban areas being well served but rural areas often have minimal health care. Most healthcare is provided for by the government under a national insurance scheme but specialized cancer treatment cannot be made available to everyone.
George Dakpallah is a director at the Ministry of Health.
"From time to time, government also sponsors some of these patients, either locally or outside, to have some treatment. But I believe it will take us a bit of time before we can arrive at a situation where the costs of treating these cases would be quite manageable to the general population."
Ghana currently only has radiotherapy machines in two hospitals; the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.
Dr. Clement Edusa, a doctor at Korle-Bu hospital, said some cancer patients lose precious time because they initially turn to traditional healers and the church.
"Unfortunately here, the first place of call is either your pastor in church who would send you to a prayer camp, work you off, two, three weeks before they send you to the hospital, or most of times the traditional healers who also give herbal concoctions which also most of times don't work. So that person is delayed in the process of treatment."
A recent conference in Accra found there were two major cancers affecting women in Ghana: cervical and breast cancer. It attributed their prevalence to lack of awareness of the diseases and low levels of screening and early detection.
According to studies by the World Health Organization (WHO), cervical cancer -- an illness of the womb that can be cured if detected early -- is the leading cause of death of women in Ghana. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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