Include cancer treatment in NHIS, FCT minister begs FG

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has called for the inclusion of cancer treatment and other urological ailments into the National Health Insurance Health Scheme (NHIS) coverage.

Malam Bello made this call while speaking at the 26th AGM and Scientific Conference of the Nigerian Association of Urological Surgeons (NAUS) in Abuja today (Thursday).

According to him, “Urology is an important and highly specialized branch of medicine with an increasing demand for its specialized care especially with an increasingly ageing population.”

He, however, regretted that there is gross shortage of urologists in Nigeria, adding that the cost for treatment of cancer-related and urological illnesses was “astronomical” thus leading global to cause loss of lives as the poor could not afford it.

“Sadly, there is a confirmed shortage of urologists in Nigeria which increases, education tourism outside of Nigeria and also outside a lot of strain and pressure on the specialists and facilities available.

“The need to train specialists in this field is therefore imperative and I was elated to learn that one of the objectives of your Organization is the teaching and tearing of your members and also promotion of research in your field.

“It will also be heartwarming if your association can seek ways to reduce the cost of treatment which can be astronomical. A lot of lives have been lost to ailments such as enlarged prostrates largely because the cost of treatment was clearly behind their reach.” He stated.

The FCT Minister disclosed that the FCT Administration is working with a private financial institution to construct a 500-bed Center of Medical Excellence in Abuja, within an all-inclusive medical city that would provide world-class accommodation and hospitals and attract the best medical professionals.

The Health Minister, Dr Osagie Emmanuel Ehanire, in his remarks, blamed medical tourism on “perceived lack of trust or care by citizens” and revealed that FG’s N100 billion loan to the sector was significantly and positively impacting the health sector.

According to the Minister, medical tourism is estimated to cost the country a foreign exchange outflow of about $1.2billion annually.

Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the event, the President of the association, Colonel Evaristus Uzoma Azodo (rtd), disclosed that cancer treatment and management was expensive hence the need for a large pool of fund like the NHIS.

“Cancer care is a big challenge in our environment and the greatest problem is that most of the patients turn up late when it is late to give them curative treatment.

“About 80 per cent of cancer patients come late and what that means, therefore, is that they are going to be on long-term treatment with very expensive drugs, even the rich are worn out by such care.

“Having a large pool of funds like the NHIS especially if we can expand that system by having more people coming into it, then we will have more money. Cancer care is not cheap in and that is why there is the need for government intervention.” He stated.

While stating some of the advantages of Endo-Urology, Azodo said with advancement in urology treatment, patients can now undergo surgeries without having to be cut open by passing instruments with light fibres are passed into the natural orphisis of the body and this allows for less trauma to the patients, reduce hospital pain, and less hospital stay for the patient.

Nigeria is said to have only about 271 Urologists to cater for its over 200million population, leaving a ratio of one Urologist to 800,000 people.

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Include cancer treatment in NHIS, FCT minister begs FG. Include cancer treatment in NHIS, FCT minister begs FG.