Womens’ health issue

Letters

THE Government should attend to women’s health issues such as breast and cervical cancer as a matter of priority and ensure the National Cancer Centre in Lae is fully equipped with the required machines and medications.
The National reported on Wednesday (Sept 12) that Papua New Guinea needs a radiotherapy machine because the one at the only cancer centre in the country has not been working since 2016.
This is disturbing and the Government, through the Health Department and the ministry, should be held fully accountable for this shortcoming.
The Government should not let NGOs like PNG Cancer Society to do the work alone and raise funds to help equip the National Cancer Centre.
Funds raised through public appeals come from mostly the same sources that pay both income and corporate taxes to the state – regularly and annually.
Those people are the workers and owners of capital who out of their goodwill donate to fundraising activities, when on the other hand these two groups significantly contribute billions of kina in income and corporate taxes to the country’s economy.
Yet the Government cannot make a simple effort under its budgetary process to fix or purchase a radiotherapy machine that can help people.
Women in PNG should be given cancer treatment onshore instead of struggling to seek costly treatment overseas. The National Cancer Centre needs a radiotherapy machine and the government should urgently attend to this for the sake of women in this country.

Reuben G. Elijah
Misima Island