By: Julie Badui Owa – EM TV News, Lae
The father of 21-year old Ruth Kaupa who died of breast cancer on the weekend said Ruth returned to PNG from Manila last month without completing her treatment because they couldn’t afford it.
Brasty Kaupa said they paid over K122 thousand for the treatment in Manila.
Doctors advised the family to get the treatment overseas because the only cancer treatment machine at Angau Hospital in Lae has been out of order since 2016.
This morning (16 January, 2019) we visited the family of 21-year old Ruth Kaupa who passed on at the Cancer Ward in Lae on the weekend.
She died died after returning from Manila, last month.
Ruth went with her mother to Manila in September last year to undergo radiotherapy treatment, because the only cancer treatment machine in Lae had not been working since 2016.
They returned to PNG without completing Ruth’s treatment because they ran out of money.
Radiotherapy was the last option for treatment for Ruth. The family began raising funds last year in order for Ruth to get the treatment overseas.
According to Mr. Kaupa, more than K122 thousand was paid for Ruth’s treatment in Manila.
Mr. Kaupa said Ruth and her mother ran out of money and could not complete Ruth’s treatment due to the high cost.
Over the last six years, many Papua New Guinean families have raised funds to seek cancer treatment in the Philippines. The minimum cost of travel and treatment is usually about 100 thousand kina.
An industry is emerging around the relatively high number of Papua New Guineans who seek treatment in the Philippines.
