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The Nigerian Orthopaedic Association has lamented the high rate of musculoskeletal tumours among Nigerians.
The National President of the association, Dr Muhammad Salihu, said this at the opening ceremony of its 46th Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference held in Abuja on Thursday.
He described musculoskeletal tumour as a situation where cancers develop within the body tissues, or see a lot of overgrowth tissue all around the body.
According to him, it is a sickness people do not pay much attention to, adding that it is common among the Nigerian populace.
According to him, when tumours are mentioned, people think only about breast cancer or cervical cancer, while musculoskeletal tumours are not always mentioned because doctors are not making noise about it.
He said, “Quite a lot of Nigerians are dying from musculoskeletal tumours. We have gathered in Abuja to discuss; there are about 70 papers to be discussed all around musculoskeletal tumours and the way to go about it and the modalities of treatment.
“We want to urge the government to put in the musculoskeletal tumour as one of the tumours that will require intervention from it, not only on brain drain, breast cancer and cervical cancer, Quite a lot of Nigerians are dying even from both tumours, cervical and breast cancer.
“We hope the government will come to our aid for us to be able to reduce the main menace of these tumours. Having said that, we would like to reiterate that we have quite a number of international support for this AGM.
“Companies who are producing high-level materials are all here today, participating in this AGM, some of them are the ones who gave us free prosthetics that we use for surgery on some of our patients.
“Surgeons are here to brainstorm on musculoskeletal tumours and the way forward for Nigeria,” he said.
He identified some of the challenges in the management and discussions around oncology, adding that the first was to relate treatment to patients and that the best treatment was for the patient to come early for it.
According to him, some patients don’t come early for treatment until their situation gets worse, and some of them will have to attempt the traditional way first before they will later think the orthodox way.
He noted that before they got the doctor’s attention, the situation might have become worse and that such a might have metamorphosed into an uncontrollable situation.
Another challenge associated with musculoskeletal tumours is the treatment.
He said the treatment of such sickness is not cheap and that quite a number of patients cannot afford it.
According to him, the treatment of oncology is multi-disciplined, which makes it necessary for the assistance of pathology, radiology, and collaboration among the professionals sometimes becomes a challenge.
He, however, solicited the support of government through the National Health Insurance Scheme and other stakeholders, to help in subsidising the cost of treatment for musculoskeletal tumours.
According to him, the men could decide to buy materials like prosthetics and implants for the surgeons, adding that doing so, would help to subsidise the materials needed and make the cost cheaper.
Salihu also called on the government to do something fast about brain drain being experienced in the medical field, adding that the government has to prioritise the welfare of orthopaedic surgeons in Nigeria and stop the emigration of its members.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Ali Pate, commended the surgeons over the AGM, stressing that trauma could create huge costs for the country and was now the leading cause of death, and a major contributor to disability.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs Kachollom Daju, he said that in Nigeria, patients with musculoskeletal tumours often present late at the hospital, usually with advanced diseases and this results in undesired outcomes – disabilities and deaths.
According to him, it mostly affects the young population between the ages of 11-40 years, and incidentally, constitutes the greater proportion of Nigeria’s population.
Pate said that the situation had a direct or indirect impact on the national demography and economy.
(NAN)
