Talks advanced for acquisition of cancer treatment machines, says health minister

News

Monday, September 02, 2013

HEALTH Minister Fenton Ferguson says that discussions are advanced with a leading Canadian hospital for the acquisition of equipment to improve cancer treatment in the public health sector.He said that, during a recent visit to Canada, he was able to make “significant progress” with the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for the supply of two Linear Accelerator machines, which are used for radiotherapy treatment.“We are closer to achieving our objective of getting two Linear Accelerator machines. As it is now, we only have one in the private sector, and we are moving to have two in the public sector,” the minister said, while addressing Friday’s ground-breaking ceremony for expansion of the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital in St Ann.He stated that the acquisition of the machines “will take a tremendous burden off our cancer patients as the Government was committed to reducing the cost of cancer treatment and care.“Cancer care remains a burden for individuals and families, and part of my mandate is to work to get cancer care down to a certain manageable level. There is a particular drug that is going at over $200,000 per dose, and for persons with breast cancer, you need 18 doses. We must find a way to get those prices down,” he stated.The minister said that, even as he works on improving care, he also has to encourage Jamaicans to adopt healthier lifestyle choices to reduce cancers and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs).“This is why I have been so steadfast in my arguments against smoking in specified public places. We are facing a debilitating problem where NCDs are concerned. High blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, respiratory diseases; these NCDs are responsible for over 70 per cent of deaths in Jamaica,” he stated.“Tobacco exposure is the most serious factor for the NCDs. The ban on smoking in specified public places will essentially lead to improvement in the quality of air we breathe, and over time, reduce the prevalence of NCDs, including respiratory illnesses and heart disease,” he pointed out.The minister said that countries that have adopted anti-smoking legislation have started to see progress. He cited the case of Northern Ireland, which introduced legislation in 2004 and within two to three years, “they started to see less heart attacks, less strokes, and in general significant reduction in NCDs. So this is not just an anti-tobacco crusade; it is a pro-health crusade”.— JISHealth Minister Fenton Ferguson reports on developments in improving cancer treatment locally, during the ground-breaking ceremony for the expansion of the St Ann Bay Regional Hospital in St Ann on Friday.

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Talks advanced for acquisition of cancer treatment machines, says health minister