The Kano Cancer Treatment Centre has provided free radiotherapy treatment valued at over N12 million to 10 indigent cancer patients in Kano.

The KCTC CEO, Nafisa Abdu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.

Ms Abdu said the intervention aimed to support indigent patients who could not afford the cost of cancer treatment.

She said the beneficiaries were identified and assessed to establish their financial circumstances before approval.

“The beneficiaries were selected through a discreet assessment process to ensure that the assistance reached patients with genuine financial needs. Our goal is not publicity, but impact. We worked with our team to identify patients who had exhausted all options and truly had no means of support,” she said.

According to her, some of the beneficiaries were referred through the Kano State Ministry of Health, while others were already receiving treatment at the centre.

Ms Abdu said the initiative reflected the centre’s commitment to improving access to cancer care, particularly for vulnerable patients.

“At the cancer centre, our responsibility is to treat cancer patients. ’For those whose cases are beyond cure, especially stages three and four, we focus on managing the disease to improve their quality of life,” she said.

She expressed concern over the increasing burden of cancer, stressing the need to strengthen prevention, early detection and access to treatment.

The CEO noted that radiotherapy remained an important component of treatment for several types of cancer. According to her, radiotherapy, also known as radiation therapy, uses high-energy radiation to destroy or control cancer cells.

“Depending on the type and stage of cancer, it can be used to treat the disease or to control symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer,” she said.

She said, however, the treatment was often beyond many patients’ financial reach, with costs potentially exceeding N1 million. Ms Abdu said financial difficulties had forced some patients to discontinue or abandon treatment.

“Some of these patients have completely given up on treatment because they simply cannot afford it,” Ms Abdu said.

The CEO expressed optimism that the initiative would continue as an annual programme to help more financially vulnerable cancer patients access essential treatment.

Ms Abdu said the intervention underscored the importance of strengthening partnerships and support mechanisms to reduce financial barriers to cancer treatment.

She said such measures would help ensure vulnerable patients were not denied essential care because they could not pay. 

(NAN)