223 Views Posted on 08-Apr-2010 under Health

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) on Friday took delivery of quantities of Chemotherapy Induced Nausea and Vomiting drugs worth 3.3 million dollars at a ceremony at Oduom, near Kumasi. The drugs were presented by the Breast Care International (BCI), breast cancer awareness Non Governmental Organization in Kumasi, in collaboration with the Peace and Love Hospital, at Oduom. They were donated by the National Cancer Coalition of Raleigh, USA, in partnership with Americare, also from USA. Dr (Mrs) Beatrice Wiafe Addai, Chief Executive of BCI, who presented the drugs, said her organization had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with National Cancer Coalition to provide cancer drugs and other resources from the United States and Europe to assist cancer patients in Ghana free of charge.

It was through this initiative that the drugs have been procured and donated to the NHIA to be distributed to needy cancer patients, who are being treated at various health institutions in the country free of charge.

Dr Mrs Addai said cancer drugs were very expensive and at times not included on the drug list of the National Health Insurance Scheme, making it difficult for most patients to have access to the drugs. She said the donation would, therefore, make it easier for majority of cancer patients to have access to the drugs and appealed to the beneficiary health facilities to use the drugs to treat patients free of charge as indicated by the donors.

Mr O.B Acheampong, Director of Research and Development at NHIA, who received the drugs, thanked BCI for the support and said it would go a long way to assist the Authority to support cancer patients, whose drugs were often expensive.

He said the Authority recognized the efforts of Dr Mrs Wiafe Addai in bringing relief and comfort to cancer patients, especially women.

Mr Acheampong said the drugs would be distributed to the three teaching hospitals in the country where cancer patients were often referred to enable majority of them to have easy access.

Story: Joyce Quaye (Reporter, Health Digest News)