From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
The Kano Cancer Treatment Centre (KCTC) has provided free radiotherapy treatment worth more than N12 million to 10 indigent cancer patients in Kano State.
The intervention was aimed at supporting patients who were unable to afford the cost of radiotherapy and other essential cancer care services.
According to a statement by the Chief Executive Officer of KCTC, Dr Nafisa Abdu, the beneficiaries were assessed and confirmed to be financially unable to access radiotherapy treatment.
She said some of the patients were referred through the Kano State Ministry of Health, while others were already receiving treatment at the centre.
Dr Abdu said the initiative demonstrated 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 significant for patients with advanced cancer, where treatment may focus on controlling the disease, managing symptoms and improving patients’ quality of life.
> “At the cancer centre where I work, 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.
The KCTC chief executive expressed concern over the growing burden of cancer and warned that more families could be affected unless access to prevention, early detection and treatment services was improved.
She noted that radiotherapy is an important component of treatment for several types of cancer but remains financially out of reach for many patients, with treatment costs potentially exceeding N1 million.
According to her, financial difficulties have forced some cancer patients to discontinue or completely abandon treatment.
> “Some of these patients had completely given up on treatment because they simply could not afford it,” Dr Abdu said.
She explained that the beneficiaries were selected through a discreet assessment process designed to ensure that the support reached patients with genuine financial needs.
“Our goal was 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.
Dr Abdu stressed that the programme was specifically targeted at indigent patients who genuinely lacked the financial capacity to pay for treatment.
“Our focus is on indigent patients, those who genuinely cannot afford treatment, not those who can pay but choose not to,” she added.
She expressed optimism that the initiative would become an annual programme, allowing more financially vulnerable cancer patients to access essential treatment.
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 as part of curative treatment or to control symptoms and improve the quality of life of patients with advanced disease.
The centre said the intervention underscored the need for stronger partnerships and support mechanisms to reduce financial barriers to cancer care and ensure that vulnerable patients are not denied essential treatment because they cannot afford it.
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