FATIMA Radda, the wife of Katsina State Governor, on Wednesday donated N10 million to cancer patients at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, as part of World Cancer Day celebrations.
News Point Nigeria reports that the event, themed “United By Unique: Placing People at The Heart of Cancer Care”, brought together patients and medical professionals.
The Katsina State Health Commissioner, Musa Adamu, praised Fatima Radda’s efforts, highlighting the state’s 70% budget implementation for healthcare infrastructure and workers’ training.
He explained that, in Katsina, there is full access to health through the Katsina State Health Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KATCHIMA) and National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), with a strong political will by the state government in fighting cancer.
Earlier during the sensitisation segment of the event, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Shamsuddeen Yahaya, noted the global impact of cancer, with 20 million affected and 10 million deaths annually, but expressed hope with the new Cancer Centre in Katsina.
“With the establishment of the Cancer Centre in the State, a lot of cancer patients troop from across the country, particularly the Northern part of the country, to access screening and care. Sanitary lifestyle, cigarette smoking, Human Papilloma virus, Hepatitis, and high body fat are some of the major causes of cancer,” he explained.
In his welcome address, the Chief Medical Director of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina, Nasiru Aliyu, represented by Ibrahim Salisu, thanked Hajiya Radda for the donation, saying it will ease patients’ burdens.
He explained that the prevalence of cancer cases is gradually increasing in the hospital, stating that the hospital is trying its best to give patients the best quality care.
