Isaac Adewole, minister of health, says the there is no hospital in the country that has a functional cancer treating machine.

Adewole made the shocking discovery in an interview with NAN.

He disclosed that out of the 200 which Nigeria requires, only seven were available, but none is in order.

“As we are talking today, there is no public hospital in Nigeria that has cancer treatment machine that is working,” he said.

“Ideally, we need one machine per one million people. Going by that, Nigeria should have about 200 cancer treatment machines. We have seven, but none of the seven machines is working today.

“But in the 2017 budget, we will ensure that each of the seven centres has two machines which means one will be a backup.

“We will upgrade Maiduguri, Zaria, Ilorin, the National Hospital, Abuja, Ibadan, Benin and Enugu in the first phase.

“We are likely to get a private sector organisation to help with the National Hospital; in fact we may sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this month.

“If we take National Hospital out, we will go to Sokoto. Gombe is waiting. Jos will be in the second round. I got a grant some years back to set up six centres of excellence.

“I put one in Jos, and I can tell you that Jos is one of the best. They have done better than Ibadan. The government is committed to making sure that we have the facilities to handle cancer cases.”

He said government had developed special interest in breast and cervical, which has been ravaging Nigerians.

Adewole revealed that a national cancer plan by a committee that would be chaired by him would review the issue of facilities.

He also emphasised the importance of early detention in the treatment of cancer.

“Due to my interest in cancer, the cancer burden is of concern to me,” he said.

The first thing we want to do is to revise the National Cancer Plan. We are also setting up a steering committee, which I will also chair.

http://iroyinkoko.com/adewole-no-hospital-in-the-country-has-a-functional-machine-to-treat-cancer/

But at the end, you will squander the money. Iranu