Govt thanked for addressing cancer fight

By OGIA MIAMEL
VOLUNTEERS who took part in the Walk the talk against cancer have thanked the Government for taking positive steps to fight cancer in the country.
Project manager Barbara Toiya said they welcomed initiatives by the Health Department to address cancer such as the HPV vaccination programme for girls that started in the National Capital District, the upgrading of the Sir Joseph Nombri Memorial Kundiawa Hospital to level six and it being declared a referral hospital.
“We are confident that the hospital is well positioned to look after cancer patients from all over Papua New Guinea,” Toiya said.
She said the walk was an initiative of the Catholic Diocese of Goroka launched in 2016 to raise fund for cancer medicine and treatment for hospitals in Chimbu and Eastern Highlands.
She said they planned to buy two (cancer treatment) machines for Kundiawa from the money raised last year.
“It is our mission to get Government response, raise money and make things happen to have state of the art facilities for cancer diagnostic and treatment facilities in the highlands when we started last year during the Catholic Church’s Holy Year of Mercy ,” Toiya said.