Chioma Umeha
Lagos – Nigerian women die of breast cancer due to
lack of access to accurate information, affordable screening, and treatment
options.
To this effect, the World Health Organisation in
its 2014 reports recommended increased awareness, equitable access to early
diagnosis and timely, effective, and affordable treatment needed globally.
Breast cancer is currently one of the leading
causes of death among women even as research shows that late detection is a
major factor.
Every year, the month of October is used for
breast cancer awareness to support women battling with breast cancer. Women are
also educated and advised on early detection with free cancer screening done
for all women/
Lagoon Hospitals, one of Nigeria’s leading
healthcare facility, recently conducted a Breast Cancer Walk in its immediate
environs in commemoration of the International Breast Cancer Awareness Month
The goal of breast cancer awareness Walk was to
raise the public’s awareness for breast cancer, its detection, its treatment,
and the need for a reliable, permanent cure.
The 6.8km walk held on October 27, 2018., starting
and ending at the Lagoon Hospitals Ikoyi facility. After the Walk, a Medical
Outreach was conducted with a short talk on Breast Cancer and the essence of
early detection by Dr. Ajibike Oyewumi, the Clinical Director for Lagoon
Hospitals. Participants had the opportunity to examine breast moulds, and free
breast cancer screenings were conducted for the women participants.
The CEO of Lagoon Hospitals, Mr. Rajeev Bhandari,
commented, “We are delighted to hold such an event in honour of the breast
cancer awareness month and to create awareness about the disease. Early
detection is key, and as the leading healthcare service provider in Nigeria, we
take it as our duty to educate the public, while also encouraging people to get
screened.”
The Mr. Franklyn Ovbigbahon, Head of Business
Development, Lagoon Hospitals, says, “We believed the Breast Cancer Walk would
be a powerful and inspiring opportunity to unite with the community to educate
and raise awareness in a fun but also intentional way.
“We understand breast cancer screenings can be
costly and we felt the free breast cancer screenings conducted after the walk,
would be a great way to make the screening more inclusive and accessible.
“Whatever your age it’s so important to get to
know your breasts, and if you do spot anything unusual – be it a lump or
redness – it is important to get it checked out by a doctor immediately.
Currently, to make the service even more accessible, we have a 50 per cent
discount on our Mammogram and Breast Scan services running till the end of
November.”
Lagoon Hospitals has successfully pioneered
ground-breaking medical achievements, most recently with a free surgery
provided for a young boy with subdural empyema as part of its CSR activities.
In 2011, Lagoon Hospitals made history by becoming
the first Hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa to earn accreditation from Joint
Commission International (JCI), the worldwide leader in improving the quality
of health care through voluntary accreditation.
