Africa-Press – Angola. The Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, showed solidarity this Saturday (24th) with cancer patients in the country, during a visit to the Angolan Cancer Control Institute (IACC), in Luanda.
At the facilities, which, according to management, have an average daily attendance of between 300 and 500 cases, Esperança da Costa received explanations about the work to expand and equip its operating room, and the areas that integrate it, and the radiotherapy department, as well as visited the pediatric area.
Speaking to the press at the end of the visit, the Vice-President of the Republic highlighted the fact that statistics show, worldwide, that the issue of cancer, in terms of cause of death, is one of the main ones.
“In Angola, unfortunately, it is also no different with our statistics, from January to October, registering around 1,172 new cases, which is quite worrying”, he said.
“Taking into account that the conditions for care were not the most adequate, the President of the Republic, João Lourenço, decided that we should carry out a new intervention in this unit (…) with an operating room that, in fact, could provide better working conditions and tools to effectively obtain better results”, he added.
He also referred to the fact that, in this unit, several patients are hospitalized, with emphasis on children, so the Executive will continue to look more closely, as well as directing more efforts to help many situations that still remain.
On the other hand, he highlighted the fact that a new building is being erected, on the perimeter of the institution, which will contain all the laboratory structures to facilitate the diagnosis, as well as the prevention actions will be intensified, due to the fact that the death rate is still high, mainly due to the population’s lack of knowledge.
“The Ministry of Health worked, in October and November, on various awareness actions regarding breast and prostate cancers, which, added to uterine cancer, are those with the highest prevalence and mortality rates.
On the other hand, said the Vice-President, the Executive will also continue to channel efforts towards the new National Oncological Hospital, to be built in the vicinity of the Dom Alexandre do Nascimento hospital.
In turn, the director of the Angolan Institute for Cancer Control (IACC), Fernando Miguel, highlighted the fact that the investments made by the Executive, especially with regard to the new operating room and the radiotherapy area, allow for a “sudden” turnaround. in improving the quality of care in the institution.
Fernando Miguel said that greater investments in these areas had long been required, with the institution now gaining a modern operating room, improvement in intensive care, recovery and hospitalization in better conditions.
“With this stimulus, we are now more prepared to face the challenges that this disease presents”, he said.
However, he underscored the need for the country to continue to make an ever-increasing effort, both in terms of staff training, in the acquisition of equipment and technologies, and in the field of prevention.
At the end of the visit, the Vice President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, offered two ambulances and a mini-bus to the institution, in order to facilitate support services.
The Vice-President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, to the Angolan Cancer Control Institute (IACC), the Minister of State for Social Affairs, Dalva Ringote, the Ministers of Health, Sílvia Lutucuta, and of Action Social, Family and Women’s Promotion, Ana Paula Sacramento Neto, among others responsible.
For More News And Analysis About Angola Follow Africa-Press
