The husband of a cancer patient, currently admitted at Lae’s Angau Cancer centre, is calling on the national health department to assist the centre to purchase a new cancer radiotherapy machine.
Allan Koni, and his wife Catherine, have been in the ward since August. Catherine were supposed to undergo a radiotherapy treatment two weeks ago. However, they were told the radiation treatment machine is not working and had to wait until the machine is fixed.
Allan and his wife Catherine are from Nipa in the Southern Highlands province.
Catherine has cervical cancer in its advanced stages. She first discovered she had cervical cancer at Mendi hospital, and was referred to Angau’s cancer unit to receive further treatment.
Koni says his wife had already undergone radiotherapy treatment, and has 17 sessions of radiotherapy remaining. Catherine was supposed to undergo her 17th radiotherapy faction two weeks ago, but was told the radiation treatment machine had some faults and was not working. They will have to wait until the machine is fixed.
For now, Catherine and the other cancer patients in the ward have been told they will have to take painkillers.
Koni is calling on the National Health Department to assist the cancer facility get a new machine, or bring in experts to fix the problem.
Most patients who go to Angau for treatment come from rural areas where there is not enough information on the symptoms and signs of cancer.
It is therefore important that Angau has a new machine in place so that patients from rural areas can get help and return home.
Angau’s CEO, Dr. Christopher Kenyhercz, says the maintenance and wellbeing of the cancer treatment centre is the responsibility of the National Department of health.
Adding, there should be more incentives to ensure the centre is fully operational and functional in serving the needs of its patients.
Dr. Kenyhercz says it is common for cancer patients in PNG who seek treatment when the cancer is in its advanced stages.
He says early diagnosis treatment is the best alternative.
But, Angau Hospital is closely supporting the centre in its efforts to ensure all patients and cases are treated, as not only is it serving patients from Lae and Morobe but from other parts of PNG as well.
