Chairman of the South West Regional?Health?Authority (SWRHA) Anil Gosine says the San Fernando General Hospital Oncology centre is "not adequate" to handle the volume of cancer-stricken patients seeking treatment at the institution. He said so in an interview yesterday after a walk against cancer through the streets of San?Fernando to mark World Cancer Month.
"The Oncology Centre is not adequate. We have just eight chairs for chemotherapy and we do surgeries at (the hospital.) We have one gynaecologist, Dr Gordon Narynsingh, and he conducts surgeries. Dr Dillon?Naryansingh heads the centre. We have registrars and house officers. There are quite a lot of patients," he said.
Yesterday's walk took participants, which included staff, cancer patients, Red?Cross members and schoolchildren, along Chancery Lane, High Street and Harris Promenade. It ended at the hospital. Gosine said it was just one of several activities planned by SWRHA to mark cancer month.
Gosine said on September 10, the hospital started a breast clinic which was "wholly for patients who may have breast cancer, so that we can fast-track their surgeries." He said cancer was one of the fastest growing causes of death and there had been an increase worldwide, as well as in T&T.
Gosine said all the RHAs had expanded oncology facilities to meet the growing need. "At South West in the last year we have started our oncology centre where we do chemotherapy for patients at San Fernando. Previously patients went to St James," he said.
While the increasing cancer rate is a concern, Gosine said, "I would not say it is to the point of alarming." He said some cancers, if treated early, could be dealt with successfully. "The population needs to be aware that you can come and do screening if you think you have or your family doctor suspects, you can come to the hospital and they will refer you," he said.