Sweden Ghana Cancer Foundation to be launch on November 8th

Aburi (E/R), Nov. 4, GNA – Sweden Ghana Medical Center (SGMC), a medical centre which provides specialized cancer treatment, will on Thursday November 8th launch the Sweden Ghana Cancer Foundation (SGCF), a non-profit organization in Accra.   The objective of the foundation is to provide financial support for early treatment to Ghana’s cancer patients who cannot afford cost of treatment at SGMC and to minimize the consequences of cancer.   This was made known by Mr Joshua K Tetteh, Chief Operations Officer of SGMC at a media interactions organized by the SGMC at Aburi in the Eastern Region on Saturday.   He said the cost of treating cancer continued to be expensive irrespective of the treatment method chosen and that the disease was not absolutely covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).   Mr Tetteh said it had become necessary to provide funding for patients who needed financial assistance. He said there was the need to also step up educational campaign to sensitize the public on the early detection of the disease, adding, “The cost of treatment of cancer is within US25 to US35,000” dollars.   “The SGMC had provided a seed capital of GH₵200,000 to start the operations of the foundation”.   SGMC operates a basic cancer care unit, consisting of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, magnetic resonance imaging and computerize tomography scan, offers consultation and advice to cancer patients.   “In Ghana, there are only six doctors (Oncologists) and 20 Chemotherapy nurses who have just graduated and work with the SGMC”.   Mr Tetteh said the SGMC was giving 40 per cent discount to its patients and that; it was worrying that the number of cancer patients visiting the centre continued to increase.   The foundation has a board of trustees to provide policy guidelines and framework; an approval committee, which will report review submitted as qualified for financial support; a review committee which will also review all applications submitted.   “The board of trustees is made up of Dr Henry Broni-Amponsah, Board Chairman of SGMC, Mrs Julia Osei Tutu, Wife of Asantehene Osei Tutu and Mr Kwasi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association”.   Mr Tetteh said to ensure integrity and credibility of the foundation's funds, “the accounts of the foundation would be audited every half a year by Adom Boafo and Associates and the independent findings submitted to the Board of Trustees.”   He therefore appealed to Ghanaians to support the course and contribute their quota to the country’s cancer patients.   The SG-Cancer Foundation was incorporated in June 2012 with the objective of providing financial support to Ghanaian cancer patients who cannot afford cost of treatment and aims at educating the public on early detection of cancer to enhance effective treatment.     GNA  ... Read Full Story