In the last four decades, cancer patients increased by 10 per cent in our country, giving an alarming picture of the deadly disease. Cancer can attack people of all ages by affecting any part of the body.
The number of cancer patients has been increasing day by day due to food habit, lifestyle, and the impact of industrialisation and massive use of technology. Currently, there is more than 15 lakh cancer patients in the country where children and teenagers are mostly affected by the deadly disease, WHO says.
About two lakh people are affected by cancer in Bangladesh every year. The number of cancer patients is increasing every year in the country, according to media reports.
Our existing treatment facilities can serve 70,000-75,000 cancer patients. Most of the cancer patients either go abroad for treatment or remain undetected and possibly die untreated or maltreated.
However, the authorities concerned do not know the actual figure of the cancer patients as many in rural areas are not in the data. Though the number of cancer patients is growing in the country, treatment facilities and specialist doctors are very scanty for lack of a comprehensive oncology education programme.
A large number of cancer patients have to go abroad spending huge money for treatment while many others either discontinue treatment halfway or die without treatment or get maltreated. According to the National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital, there are only 16 medical oncologists in Bangladesh against the requirement of at least 2,000-2,500.
About two lakh people
are affected by cance
r in Bangladesh every year.
Many Bangladeshi cancer patients, particularly middle-income ones, go to India for treatment. But the rich ones go to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the USA and the UK.
So, we need to improve cancer treatment facilities in our country. If a cancer institute is set up in every division, patients will be able to receive treatment there instead of going abroad. The country needs at least 5,000 hospital beds for cancer patients but now it has only 500. The government will have to develop infrastructure and increase equipment and adequate skilled manpower to ensure proper cancer treatment.
The government will have to increase the number of oncologists and physicians as it is very tough to provide treatment to cancer patients with a very few number of oncologists. It is very difficult to provide treatment for the large number of cancer patients. There is a shortage of efficient manpower in specialised cancer treatment for lack of a comprehensive oncology education programme.
The government must include the oncology subject in most of the medical colleges to increase doctors to take care of cancer patients.
All the cancer-specialised hospitals are Dhaka-based and crowded with cancer patients. This situation hampers the quality of cancer management and increases the treatment costs and sufferings of the patients.
To overcome the problem, the country needs to decentralise cancer care and ensure modern and well-managed cancer facilities as soon as possible. The government, non-government and conscious people of the society will have to raise awareness among the people to prevent the spread of cancer as the deadly disease is increasing fast in the country due to food adulteration, pollution and consumption of tobacco products.
As cancer treatment is very costly so the government must take proper initiatives to keep the treatment cost within the reach of common people. We believe that coordinated cancer treatment is possible in the country but utmost sincerity of the physicians is needed to that end.