Ango Abdulahi Canvasses Free Treatment Of Cancer, Liver, Kidney Diseases
Elder Statesman and Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum, Prof. Ango Abdulahi, has called on the Federal Government to come up with a policy to ensure free treatment of cancer, liver and kidney-related diseases in the country.
He said that cancer, kidney and liver diseases belong to the category of diseases that should come under a national policy where the citizenry is given free medical examination and even treatment.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor of Bayelsa State on Media Relations, Mr. Fidelis Soriwei, stated that the NEF Chairman made the comment while paying a condolence visit to Governor Seriake Dickson on the death of his mother, Mrs. GoldCoast Dickson, at Toru Orua Friday.
Abdulahi said that cancer, kidney, liver and even HIV were among the diseases that the majority of the citizens lacked the capacity to treat and should be handled by the nation’s healthcare delivery system.
He stressed that the leadership of the country has no choice than to address the deadly diseases ravaging the citizenry.
The elder statesman who was reacting to Governor Dickson’s call for concerted action against cancer said that all levels of government should give priority to the treatment of the terminal diseases now assuming a frightening dimension in the society.
He said, “Fortunately for us, you are in government now, a Governor of a state and you interact with governors of other states and as part of your responsibility as governor you also interact with the Federal Government.
“I lost my junior my wife to cancer of the pancreas and it was misdiagnosed, and of all places, at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital. It took us a trip outside for the confirmation of what it was and it had already passed its early stages. Simple surgery would have taken care of it.”
