Poor cancer treatment: 1.5 lakh die a year

Modern treatment facilities for cancer are scanty in the country where every year two lakh people are getting this deadly, but preventable and curable scourge, experts at a city seminar said yesterday.
Besides, they said, the country now bears a burden of 10 lakh cancer patients and 1.5 lakh people die of the ailment every year, but advanced treatment facilities are yet to reach them.
National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) organised the seminar aiming to acquaint medical professionals and policy makers with the advancement of cancer treatment in the world.
Chaired by its director Dr. Mollah Obayedullah Baki, health and family welfare minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque was present as the chief guest at the seminar that introduced the use of ‘tomography’ for cancer diagnosis.
Presenting this modern computer-assisted technique Animesh, vice-president, Kirloskar Technologies Ltd, said, tomography had shown to be of great use in the treatment of cancer with radiation therapy.
“It is used more and more in the estimation of tumour volume and for treatment planning,” he said.
Speaking at the seminar, the health minister said, the government was trying to increase cancer treatment facilities.
“Though it is very expensive, we have plans to bring new technologies in our country so that people can get specialised treatment at home,” he said.
Dr Baki said, they had sent proposal to the health ministry to procure advanced equipment for the NICRH. “Even we have experts to transplant bone-marrow, but we don’t have equipment,” he said.
Speaking at the seminar Secretary General of the Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (SWACHIP) Dr Iqbal Arslan said, the present government dreamt to reach healthcare to all, but it had financial constraints. He said, the government would try to support medical experts with advanced equipment.
Secretary general of the Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) Dr Mohammad Sharfuddin Ahmed said, we can learn advance treatment procedures by transferring technology. He said, BMA will help in the endeavour.
Presenting a paper at the seminar Dr Md Khorshed Alam of the NICRH laid emphasis on developing infrastructure for cancer treatment, and installing sufficient radiotherapy machines. Experts blamed poverty, illiteracy, poor nutritional status and lack of mass awareness for the cancer spread.
Common forms of cancer people suffer from are lung, cervical, breast as well as oral and larynx cancers that can be prevented through early detection and timely treatments.
The government has adopted the National Cancer Control Strategy in 2008 and Plan of Action for 2009-2015 period. According to the World Health Organisation, a well-conceived, well-managed national cancer control programme lowers cancer incidence and improves the quality life of cancer patients, no matter what resource constraints a country faces.

Courtesy of The Independent