Niblett seeks support for Cancer Fund

By GABRIEL LAHOC
THE 111 parliamentarians should donate K20,000 each annually to the Cancer Fund, resident oncologist Dr John Niblett said yesterday.
Niblett said that would be one of the ideal approaches to help treat cancer patients, many of whom were suffering silently around the country.
The head of the National Cancer Treatment Centre in Lae, Morobe, made the comment in welcoming a Selectron, a A$72,000 (K159,739) machine that used in radiotherapy, especially in cervical cancer cases.
 “One thing that we do lack is sufficient finance to keep cancer services going and my suggestion to the new members of parliament, as we have cancer patients from every electorate in the country, is for them to contribute to the Cancer Fund,” he said.
“If every member of parliament contributed K20,000 a year, we would be able to double our capacity overnight and be able to do a lot more.
“Finance could come through the Angau Trust Fund or the Cancer Relief Society and be stored in a safe place.
“These are ways that we can quickly enhance what is going on,” he said.
He said buying the Selectron was the result of a promotion by the two daily newspapers, his wife Andrea and the Cancer Relief Society in Lae and Port Moresby.
He thanked Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, the health department and the National Gaming Control Board for their help and involvement.
“We were able to get a grant of money, thank you very much to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill for sanctioning that recent donation from the National Gaming Control Board to the health department,” he said.
“The Selectron was bought two months ago and now finally arrived in Lae, so far it’s still in a box and we are still waiting for the radioactive sources from Holland, which are being checked in Sydney, Australia, by colleagues and contacts at the Prince of Wales Hospital.”
Gynaecologist Dr Nasser Galdekareem, who visited from Kundiawa for training under Niblett, called for greater help and awareness to get patients to seek early treatment.
“Everybody has to try to help this centre.
“This man is doing a marvellous job, he is very knowledgeable and he does not hide information from other doctors and patients.”