Cancer prevention excluded

 By JINA AMBA 

THE killer disease cancer has not been taken up in Papua New Guinea’s Health Plan 2010-20, University of PNG senior lecturer Dr Arnold Waine says.  

The senior lecturer in surgery said the health plan did not mention anything on cancer at any one time.

Waine said even this year, cancer was not captured in the health plan. “Cancer is not included in the key result areas (KRA),” he said.

Waine said in the health plan, other diseases were mentioned, which meant there were policies in place for those diseases and money definitely put into those areas but not cancer.

He said cancer was killing people in PNG and was third in PNG’s mortality list. 

Waine said literally, there was no money and policy (service) for cancer, it was just talked a lot about in PNG.

He said other disease like malaria, tuberculosis and measles  were mentioned but not cancer. 

He said the cobalt machine in Lae was very old and the cancer treatment centre needed a new one because it is the only one in the country. 

Waine said this machine was bought in the 1970s. 

He said the cobalt machine cost about K1.5 million and still nothing has been acquired to save lives. 

Waine said everyone with cancer in the country has to follow a lot of procedures and then go to Lae for treatment, which was a burden for them. 

He said the cost was too expensive especially for the rural people.

Waine said people died because of the cost and the lack of medical equipment.