Cancer has become the commonest cause of death in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, says Prof. Temitope Alonge, the outgoing Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
Accordimg to him, data generated from UCH revealed that since 2015, cancer has been the leading source of death in the hospital along with infections including HIV/AIDS, injuries and cardiovascular diseases.
Alonge, who was reflecting on his eight-year tenure inan interaction with journalists, disclosed in order to tackle the challenge, the hospital acquired two 22-channel brachi-therapy machines that are able to treat the three commonest types of cancer. He added that the machine can treat minimum of 50 patients a day.
He indicated that the impression that HIV has been stamped out was errornous because most infections were HIV/AIDS-related.
He opined that the campaign against stigmatization may have contributed to the spread of the virus again as infected people live without stigma, get more comfortable but go round to infect unsuspecting members of the public.
The Orthopaedic surgeon said he was leaving the position fulfilled because he succeeded largely in his dream of transforming the UCH. He added that his goal was to build the people, build a system and build service and infrastructures that will enable the hospital regain its status as the leading teaching hospital in West Africa. He pointed out that he succeeded in the goal, hence his feeling of fulfillment.
Credit: Newspeakonline
