Image: Dr. Joseph Garap, Cancer Specialist
A senior cancer specialist who was attached with the Angau General Hospital for 13 years says the rate of cancer in the country has increased due to too many factors.
Dr. Joseph Garap believes more awareness and early detection are needed in order to drive the message to the people throughout the country.
Dr. Garap has been working in Lae to promote early detection. According to Dr. Garap cancer is now killing many Papua New Guineans. He says most people go to the hospital when they are already at the advanced stage.
Garap believes awareness that is being carried out in the country is not effective, and is not enough in driving the message to the people. However, funding constraints have also hindered vital information from getting to rural areas.
Another issue now is with early detection. Garap says currently there is no proper service in the country to look at early detection.
He added, Lae takes in referrals from all cancer patients around the country and while the country is faced with difficulties with its services there is no specialist doctor available to help patients.
As a community service, Dr. Joesph Garap has now gone into cancer awareness and volunteers service and has visited schools, settlements, business houses educating them of cancer.
Through his awareness, he has already identified the early stages of cancer.
