Seasoned broadcaster, and Executive Director of the Meena Breast Cancer Foundation (MBCF), Ibrahim Oppong Kwarteng, has urged the government to cover the full cost of breast cancer treatment in Ghana.
According to the Executive Director, the high expenditures associated with treatment of breast cancer contributed to tragic outcomes, as some patients abandon treatment halfway leading to worsened complications, and untimely deaths.
Addressing a press conference in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Kwarteng said many breast cancer patients in Ghana fell within the poverty line and it was crucial that government absorbed treatment under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). "Government should make breast cancer care and treatment free.
Much as we are all aware that government incurs a lot of cost in the healthcare delivery system, it is important to also know that there are many poor women in the poverty bracket who cannot pay for the high cost of treatment of breast cancer including biopsies, mammograms, pathology, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, among others. "We plead with the government to make breast cancer treatment and care free to save more women from untimely deaths," he urged.