The Public Health Ministry is working to ensure that free radiation treatment is provided to cancer patients across the country, according to Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence.
Addressing the GTT Cancer Care Symposium, at Duke Lodge in Kingston, Lawrence said that the project is in collaboration with several “concerned Guyanese and the University of Calgary.” In addition, Lawrence said that the ministry is hoping to soon establish a specialised cancer facility that will cater for all types of cancers.
Lawrence noted that it was her own experiences with breast cancer which led to the purchase of the first mammogram machine for the Georgetown Public Hospital, which was bought so women and girls could have access to a free service. “I challenged myself that as long as I was the Minister of Public Health I would ensure that all the people in my country have unrestricted access to services… so that they can be assured that the government will do all it can for everyone who walks through our doors,” she added.
Several organisations participated in the symposium.
Also speaking at the event was Dr William Adu-Krow, PAHO/WHO Representative, who said that in order to combat breast cancer in Guyana, there is an urgent need for mammogram machines in every major hospital across the country if not in every region. He said too that there is also an urgent need to combine effective and affordable interventions to tackle “the highly preventable diseases.”
Further, he said that 78% of deaths in Guyana can be credited to various types of cancers and Guyanese “need to do more,” especially as it relates to breast cancer, which he said is the most common cancer in the country. “We must make all persons aware of breast cancer,” he stated. In closing Adu-Krow urged attendees to collaborate and hold interventions for prevention, early detection, and early cancer treatment.
Meanwhile, a representative from the Public Health Ministry’s Chronic Disease Unit gave an overview of cancer in Guyana said that there is low incidence for cancer linked to under reporting or under diagnosing the disease and there is a high incidence of survival of cancer as a preventable disease and thus far there is a high percentage of advanced stage cancer. In addition, he said that there is a very low incidence of cancer patients using appropriate treatment and there is absence of cost effective basic health packages for adequate cancer management. Agreeing with Adu-Krow, he said that Guyana has very limited cancer care facilities and has no national standard guidelines relating to cancer treatment, diagnosis and management. Further, he said cancer drugs are not included in Guyana’s essential drug list. He too urged attendees to raise awareness about all types of cancers.
At the conclusion of the symposium, Fiona Legall was presented with a plaque for her voluntary work and for raising awareness about cancers. Legall is a former employee of the Cancer Institute. Legall promised that she will continue to raise awareness as it relates to cancer. The plaque was presented compliments of GTT.
