Maria David
YOUR health is your worth. Therefore, it is important to have a check-up mostly for an early detection and or prevention of cancer.
That was the message given to the Onemanya residents near Okahao during the cancer screening and health awareness campaign at Indira Gandhi health centre on Saturday.
The health centre, named after the former Indian Prime Minister, was built using the amount of U$50 000 (N$300 000) that Founding President Sam Nujoma received as a prize when he won an award from the Hunger Project.
The health centre includes a primary health care facility and a maternity clinic.
Minister of Health and Social Service Kalumbi Shangula said that cancer is the second leading cause of death globally accounting for an estimated 9.6 million deaths.
Shangula stated that lung, prostate, stomach and liver cancer are the common type of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.
“Cancer is one of the diseases that impact heavy burden on families, communities and on health systems. Cancer inflicts pain on its victims and heavy financial burden on the Ministry,” he said.
He added that the treatment of cancer is excruciatingly unpleasant and unbearable to the patients and takes long with sometimes bad outcomes if not diagnosed early.
Shangula stated that it requires a combination of interventions, from surgical treatment to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and one of the important interventions is psychotherapy, which is not always accorded the importance it deserves.
“It is my hope that this event will not be the last one. Every one must go for screening every year for cancer, diabetes, hypertension and other diseases,” he said.
He then asked Namibians to make psychosocial services part of the package for management of cancer patients.
King of Ongandjera Johannes Mupiya said cancer is a deadly disease that causes death and bringing service closer to the people will help safe lives, he said.
Mupiya stressed that cancer is slowly killing people due to the lack of knowledge, hence the campaign came at the right.
He urged people to get screened more especially men, who shy away from being treated as they feel that they are being disrespected.
“Do away with the shyness and get tested before its too late,” he said.
He then call on the Health ministry to also visit remote areas to educate the people and take the needed services to them, as they are no health facilities close to them.
Medical treatment for women is done free of charge at Onemanya.
Men aged 40 and older were screened for prostate cancer. Women aged 21-65 were screened for cervical cancer.
A number of laboratories have sponsored their services to process the specimens for free, while NewMed has given free speculums to be used to collect Papsmear swabs.
