Ghana’s🇬🇭 famous cancer surgeon and Chairperson for the Ghana Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance(GNCDA), Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai has appealed to the government through the Ministry of Health to consider putting persons who are suffering and dealing with NCDs on the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme.
This, Dr Wiafe, who is also President for Breast Care International (BCI) noted would lessen the burden on the patients and grant them some comfort to buy drugs to deal with their ailments.
Speaking to the media during an event held to enable some visiting Medical Professors, Practitioners and Students from the University of Pennsylvania and Washington, USA to meet breast cancer survivors at the Peace and Love Hospitals in Kumasi, Dr Wiafe said persons dealing with Non-Communicable Diseases including breast cancer patients and survivors were going through a lot to keep themselves in shape.
“I can tell you that treatment of NCDs is expensive and managing the situation requires a lot to deal with the psychological, social and financial aspects and this is where we need government bail these persons out by enrolling them onto the LEAP programme so that they could get stipends to deal with their issues and upkeep”, Dr Wiafe Addai stated.
Visiting USA 🇺🇸 Author:
Mariko Bennette, a visiting author and Empowerment coach from the USA 🇺🇸 commended the BCI President for diligently ensuring that treatment and other Empowerment modules were given to survivors of breast cancer at the Peace and Love Hospitals.
She noted that these gestures by Dr Wiafe Addai go to lessen the burden on these survivors as well as patients who visit for care.
Madam Mariko urged the survivors to keep up with activities that would prolong their lives.
“I believe that having the right kind of information is the best form of empowerment and i am glad that even before i came here Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai had apart from all other psychological and social support has also empowered you to stay strong for your families”, Madam Mariko noted.
Optional Speeches:
Professors Stephen Avery, Prof David Jeffrey Pate Jnr, from the USA 🇺🇸 encouraged the survivors to see life with positive mindsets.
Other speakers at the meeting were Prof Tony Opoku Agyemang, Dr Lawrencia Dsane Bawuah and Khadija Farrd Barkley.
Survivors Leader:
Vivian Gyasi-Sarfo, Leader of the Peace and Love Survivors Association (PALSA) told newsmen that they had survived surgery and treatment of breats cancer due to the education and information they had.
She noted that armed with the necessary information they convinced themselves that they needed to take their destinies in their own hands and undergo treatment for their ailments.
Mrs Sarfo said but for the education they received at the Peace and Love Hospitals from Dr Wiafe Addai they would have lived with the myths and misconceptions and ideas they had about cancers and died before their time.
“I urge partners especially husbands to support their wives or partners to undergo treatment when they realise there was something wrong with the breasts since treatment and care was available for persons with such issues”, Mrs Sarfo stressed.
Ministry of Health Representative:
Lydia Owusu Ansah, NCD Coordinator at the Regional Health Directorate commended Dr Wiafe Addai for steadily offering sensitization and information about NCDs including cancers.
She urged the public to heed to advice and report issues of their health especially NCDs to the hospital 🏥 early for diagnosis and treatment.
“Health issues like prostate cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancers are treatable but their antidote is to report them early when they are noticed”, Madam Ansah added.
