Tawau hospital in dire need of mammogram and radiotherapy machines
TAWAU: Assistant Law and Native Affairs Minister Jannie Lasimbang has assured that she will bring up the problem faced by women seeking early cancer detection and treatment in Tawau.
The district hospital does not have a machine to conduct mammogram (breast screening) and radiotherapy machine for treatment of cancer.
Jannie said she would bring up the matter after being apprised of the women’s situation here from the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon Tawau chairperson, Christy Fe Salazar, during her talk at the Tawau Library organized by Wanita DAP Tawau on Saturday.
Jannie said she was very impressed with Christy, who is a breast cancer survivor, for untiringly raising awareness of women on breast cancer by travelling to Lahad Datu, Semporna, Kunak and Kalabakan.
Christy, during the talk, said that it is imperative for women above 40 years old to undergo screening. Sadly, she lamented, Tawau Hospital does not have a machine to do mammogram to detect breast cancer.
She also said that women already diagnosed with breast cancer would not be able to undergo radiotherapy treatment as the hospital does not have the equipment to do so.
Faced with these problems, the women here have no choice but to travel to Kota Kinabalu for screening, treatment and review, she said, which is both time consuming and incurring extra expenses.
She said if the two machines were available, women here could go for early detection and receive treatment in their own home town where their loved ones could be with them to give support and encouragement.