KARACHI: Expressing concern over the alarming rise in cancer cases in the country, particularly in Sindh, health experts have called upon the governments at the national and provincial levels to take immediate steps for the provision of comprehensive cancer treatment and care at public sector hospitals.
They also underscored the need for cancer prevention that, they said, could only be achieved through public awareness of associated risk factors and implementing laws related to tobacco and other hazardous products.
“Alongside other illnesses, the country has been seeing a horrifying increase in lung cancer cases, which now involves a significant number of women as well,” senior oncologist Dr Adnan Abdul Jabbar, who is associated with Ziauddin Hospial, told a press conference.
Linking this increase with growing drug addiction, he regretted the rampant use of tobacco products and consumption of harmful concoctions, such as gutka, chaalia and mawa, particularly in the rural parts of Sindh, where it had turned into a common addiction.
The result, he added, was growing numbers of mouth, throat, and lung cancer cases.
The speaker also expressed concern over the lack of cancer facilities at government hospitals and said that the lack of holistic care in public health settings and the high cost of cancer medicines compounded poor patients’ miseries.
Often, they said, poor families were forced to discontinue treatment.
“While this situation is worrisome and warrants urgent steps, what’s equally important is to have a registry/mechanism to record these cases at the national and provincial level,” Dr Abdur Rasheed of Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) said.
The cancer data, experts said, would help demonstrate the gravity of the situation and guide the government in making appropriate policies and allocating financial resources for the public health challenge.
They also spoke about environmental pollution and described it as a major factor contributing to poor lungs’ health. This included hazardous emissions from vehicles and factories located in residential areas.
Published in Dawn, August 23th, 2023