Africa-Press – Tanzania. PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan emphasised on the need for scientific research to be conducted, to establish causes of high cancer prevalence rate in the Lake Zone regions.
Gracing the 50th Anniversary of Bugando Zonal Hospital here on Thursday, President Samia said that available data show that women are the most affected, suffering from breast and cervical cancers.
“It’s very saddening to realise that the number of cancer patients in the Lake Zone regions has continued to grow in 2019 the hospital received 1,200 cancer patients diagnosed with illness after being encouraged to take the test, the number is anticipated to shoot to 1,500 patients this year.
“Let’s direct the focus on establishing the source of the cancer…why the Lake Zone Region is leading and women are the main victims of breast and cervical cancer disease,” said President Samia.
She revealed that her predecessor the late Dr John Magufuli had inquired for the same, directing the Health Ministry in collaboration with Bugando Zonal Hospital to research on the problem.
The Head of State also directed the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children in partnership with the hospital to join forces and come up with answers
According to the president, there are mounting assumptions that the disease is caused by environmental pollution owed to mining activities, which employ mercury to refine the minerals in rivers, thereby the water is used for consumption by the public.
Whereas such assumptions hold water, President Samia was hesitant on why then women are the only ones affected the most, while both sex consume the contaminated waters as it is said.
Earlier, President Samia visited some projects at the hospital, including the construction of a cancer facility whose estimated cost is 5.4bn/- as stated earlier by the Bugando Director General, Dr Fabian Massaga.
It was also noted that the government had allocated 1bn/- in the financial year 2020/21, to support the facility, wherein the president directed the ministry of health, to fast track the disbursement of the funds for the finalisation of the project.
President Samia added that availability of state-of -the -art facilities has placed the hospital at an opportune position to serve over 95 per cent of the patients and reduce the number of patients travelling abroad for treatment enabling the government to save 1.9bn/- annually.
She noted that the initiatives were in line with the government’s agenda of bringing health services closer to the people, as the funds are now being directed in the construction of facilities and strengthening delivery of health services across the country.
On his side, Dr Massaga affirmed that the hospital through its own sources of income and staff contribution have set aside 3.4bn/- to support the operations of the hospital, calling up on other stakeholders to extend a helping hand in the course.
“About 60 per cent of cancer patients who got transferred to Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar es Salaam are from the Lake Zone and we have lodged research to find out the reason behind,” he said
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