Don’t send cancer patients home when they need care, FG tells hospitals

The Nigerian government has advised hospitals not to discharge cancer patients prematurely, even when they no longer require hospital-based curative treatment, according to Dr Uchechukwu Nwokwu, the National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Plan at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Nwokwu emphasized during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria that continued care should be provided to patients, even when a cure is no longer feasible.

He stressed that patients should not be discharged without arrangements for continued care at another facility, particularly when there is a lack of capacity within the current facility. Nwokwu explained that cancer treatment could involve various modalities, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and targeted therapy, depending on the type, stage, and individual patient needs.

He also highlighted the importance of palliative care, stating that it should not be limited to patients who are dying or have exhausted all treatment options but should be instituted within six weeks of diagnosis to address physical, psychological, social, financial, and spiritual challenges associated with cancer and its treatment.