By KHADIJAH ALIYU; Editing by BASIRAT MEMUDU
The Kano Cancer Treatment Centre, KCTC, has provided free radiotherapy treatment worth more than twelve million naira to ten indigent cancer patients in Kano State.
The beneficiaries were patients assessed and confirmed to be financially incapable of accessing radiotherapy services, including those referred through the Kano State Ministry of Health and others receiving treatment at the centre.
Speaking on the intervention, the Chief Executive Officer of KCTC, Dr. Nafisa Abdu, said the initiative demonstrates the centre’s commitment to improving access to cancer treatment and enhancing the quality of life of vulnerable patients.
She explained that the intervention was particularly important for patients with advanced cancer, where treatment often focuses on controlling the disease, managing symptoms and improving the quality of life of patients.
Dr. Nafisa expressed concern over the increasing burden of cancer and called for greater investment in prevention, early detection and treatment services to reduce the impact of the disease on individuals and families.
She noted that radiotherapy remains an essential component of treatment for several types of cancer but is financially inaccessible to many patients, with treatment costs potentially exceeding one million naira.
According to her, financial constraints have forced some cancer patients to discontinue or completely abandon treatment, stressing that the centre therefore prioritised patients who genuinely lacked the means to pay for the service.
Dr. Nafisa said the beneficiaries were selected through a discreet assessment process to ensure that the intervention reached patients with genuine financial needs.
She expressed optimism that the initiative would be sustained as an annual programme to enable more financially vulnerable cancer patients to access essential treatment.
The KCTC Chief Executive called for stronger partnerships and support mechanisms to reduce financial barriers to cancer treatment, stressing that no vulnerable patient should be denied essential care because of inability to pay.
