Lagos donates N365m mobile clinic for cancer treatment

Lagos

Lagos state government, yesterday, handed over a mobile cancer centre for the diagnosis and treatment of residents afflicted with cancer-related diseases.
The effort, according to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, would as well increase advocacy in the area and prevent the spread of the scourge.
Governor Ambode, who spoke while handing over the facility to representatives of the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) at the Lagos House in Alausa, Ikeja, said it was in fulfillment of his promise he made in June 2016 to join the fight against cancer.
He said the mobile clinic, the first of its kind in Africa procured at a cost of N365 million, was a confirmation of the commitment of his administration to improve on the healthcare system and give hope to residents who may not have the wherewithal to go for diagnosis and treatment.
“I want to thank the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP). Sometime in June 2016, they did ask me to support issues that relate to cancer, but we decided that we are going to procure this Mobile Cancer Centre.
“What we have that we are donating today to this committee is a mobile clinic that deals with issues that relate to advocacy and treatment of cancer patients; because we do not have the financial resources to have cancer centres placed in all locations in Lagos, we decided to go for this mobile cancer centre.
“It’s costing us N365 million; approximately $1 million. What this does is that we can reach out to every community and every cancer patient; we can give hope back to those who are hopeless.
“On a day like this, we extend the commitment of the state government to the people of Lagos to improve on our health system and also help those that never imagined that there would be hope for them because they have been afflicted with cancer and any other aliment that relates to cancer,” Ambode said.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, said in a period where communicable diseases like cancer were fast becoming epidemic, the donation of the mobile cancer centre was a direct response of the present administration to provide a stop-gap.
In her remarks, Executive Secretary of CECP, Dr. Abia Nzelu, thanked Ambode, saying that the gesture was a testament to the government’s love for Lagosians as the donation was also coming on February 14 celebrated worldwide as Valentine’s Day.

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