By
Bertha Badu-Agyei/ Abigail Yadago/Georgina Agyen
Koforidua, Nov, 8,
GNA – Dr Forster Amponsah-Manu, Head of Surgical Department of the Koforidua
Regional Hospital, has advised women to be bold to take critical decisions
concerning their health.
He said “health is
life and you don’t need anyone, including your husband’s to make those critical
decisions for you when it comes to life threatening diseases such as breast
cancer”.
According to the
surgeon, most women refused treatment for breast cancer especially when it
comes to the removal of the breast for fear of losing their husbands or
partners and advised them to take their life into their own hands.
He stressed that
breast cancer was curable when detected early and urged women to visit the
hospital immediately they detected any change whatsoever in the breast to
ensure early treatment.
Dr Amponsah-Manu
gave the advice at a seminar organized by the United Nations Population Fund
(UNPF) in collaboration with the Department of Gender of the Ministry of
Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) in Koforidua, to raise
awareness on screening/early detection of breast cancer.
He strongly refuted
the perception that breast cancer was a curse adding that “the truth is that as
we grow, the chances of getting breast cancer becomes high, eating a lot of
fruits and healthy lifestyles are good but they are not 100 per cent guarantee
against any form of cancer”.
Mrs Juliana
Abbey-Quaye, Acting Eastern Regional Director, Department of Gender, said
women’s empowerment could not be complete without their health and urged women
to take good care of their health.
She encouraged women
to rise above the stereotypes such as getting permission from their husbands
before going for treatment especially in the case of breast cancer.
Participants from
various women organizations in the formal and informal sector including the
Cancer Survivors group and markets associations, made an appeal to government
to make breast cancer treatment part of the National Health Insurance Scheme.
As part of the
sensitization, participants benefited from free breast cancer screening and
scan.
GNA
