Hospital steps up war against killer disease
THE National Referral Hospital (NRH) has stepped up its fights against breast cancer, which is killing more and more women behind cervical cancer.
Medical superintendent Dr Rooney Jagilly revealed this in light of revelations breast cancer is now the second highest killer of women.
Cervical cancer is the number one killer.
“We have trained a local team of doctors at the NRH to fight breast cancer this year,” Dr Jagilly said.
“We have also acquired a new machine that will detect breast cancer early in women,” he added.
Two Australian medical experts, Professor Hamish Ewing and Dr Paul Tauro, arrived in Honiara last week to run training for local doctors in the NRH’s effort to fight breast cancer.
The duo is also teaching local doctors how to operate the Mammogram machine, which has been stationed at the hospital for sometimes without much use.
This is a machine doctors use to screen breast cancer.
“The machine has been here for some time now but has not been fully utilised due to lack of knowledge on how to operate it,” Dr Jagilly said.
He said with the help of the two medical experts, the local team is now better positioned to fully utilize the machine.
“This will surely help to fight against the deadly killer,” Dr Jagilly said.
He added their efforts are also boosted with the acquisition of a new machine known as Tissue Processor, which doctors can use to make early detection of breast cancer.
“This Tissue Processor machine will definitely enhance early detection and ensure quality care for women with breast cancer,” Dr Jagilly said.
He said they have a local who is currently available and ready to operate the machine as soon as one of its missing parts arrives.
“The machine is very important in the fight against breast cancer as it has the capacity to detect if a patient has breast cancer or not.”
Dr Jagilly said in the absence of the Tissue Processor, the NRH usually sent tissue samples overseas for processing which can normally take up to seven weeks before they get the results.
“Now that we have the Tissue Processor stationed at NRH, it will make the battle against breast cancer much easier than before,” he said.
Dr Jagilly said with the newly acquired knowledge and equipment now available, they are confident of tackling this killer disease head on this year.
By BIRIAU WILSON SAENI