Spiritualists can’t cure cancer -Mrs. Fayemi

    
Wife of the Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has urged Nigerian women against visiting herbalists and religious centres for diagnosis and treatment of breast and other gender-specific cancers.

She spoke on Tuesday during the launching and distribution of 32,000 units of Breast Self-Examination kits to officials of the 16 Local Governments of the state at the Funmi Olayinka Diagnostic and Wellness Centre in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

The project, aimed at creating awareness on breast cancer, was a joint initiative of the Office of the Wife of Governor and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria.

The governor’s wife emphasised the need for self examination of breasts by women for early detection of lumps and urged husbands to remind their wives to do a check.

She stressed that breast cancer could be easily treated when detected and presented early at a standard health institution, adding, “If you observe a lump in your breast, please don’t go to the nearest herbalist, don’t go to the nearest worship centre for a solution and don’t ignore it. Don’t carry your Bible and

say ‘it is not my portion’.

“For those of you that believe in the saying that what you don’t know cannot hurt you, I must tell you that what you don’t know can actually kill you.”

She pledged to partner ALGON on grassroots diagnosis of breast, cervical and other gender-specific cancer, as well as lipid test at the Funmi Olayinka centre through her initiative, the Ekiti

Development Foundation in a bid to reduce cancer-induced deaths in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Olusola Fasubaa, said the Kayode Fayemi-led administration committed over N100million in support of citizens suffering from one form of cancer or the other.

The Commissioner, who was represented on the occasion by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, said nine women were supported to undergo cancer surgery from the fund.

The Commissioner for Local Government, Mr. Paul Omotosho, said the council authorities in the state would ensure efficient distribution of the kits to women through awareness creation.