The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) has targeted to screen 10,000 women in the Central Region as part of its October breast cancer awareness month, dubbed: 'PinkTober.' The hospital will embark on free health screenings and television and radio sensitisation within the month to create visibility/awareness on issues regarding breast cancer. In addition, more than 5,000 men would be screened to ensure no one was left out, considering the rise in breast cancer cases among men. Communities selected for the exercise are Pedu and Bakaano in the Cape Coast Metropolis, Komenda, Elmina in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Municipality, Twifo Praso, Assin Fosu, Yamoransa and Biriwa. Others are Anomabo, Saltpond, Mankessim and Winneba. The hospital has also opened a free walk-in centre within its premises to respond to corporate bodies and institutions ready to conduct breast cancer education and screening for their staff. At the launch of the PinkTober, on the theme: 'Breast Care; Working together to succeed,' Dr Eric Kofi Ngyedu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CCTH, said the exercise offered an opportunity to celebrate and encourage survivors to share their stories to demystify the disease. It formed part of the hospital's social responsibility and commitment to addressing issues of public health concerns. Dr Nyedu expressed the need to improve the care facilities offered to patients with psychosocial support through navigation, diagnostic, treatment and palliative. He appealed to herbal practitioners and faith-based healers to direct breast cancer patients to the hospital for timely evaluation and treatment to ensure better outcomes. On challenges the CCTH faced, Dr Ngyedu called on stakeholders and corporate bodies to help the hospital establish a radiotherapy centre to ease the burden on patients requiring radiotherapy as part of treatment. A survivor, Madam Amina, who shared her story, advised all to desist from stigmatising breast cancer patients because that attitude affected them emotionally and mentally, compounding their situation. She said the disease was real and must be treated with urgency without misinformation or fear of surgery and appealed for support and acceptance of patience to quicken their healing process.

Source: Ghana News Agency