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The Psycho-Oncology Society of Nigeria (POSON), has urged hospitals to invest in the training of oncologists to provide effective psycho-social care for cancer patients.
The association made the appeal in a communiqué issued to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, at the end of its 11th National Scientific Conference and Workshop held in Ibadan.
The communiqué signed by the President of the association, Dr Elizabeth Akin-Odanye, also called on hospitals and policymakers in the health sector to provide accessible and affordable psycho-social care services to cancer victims.
It emphasised the need for public and private health facilities treating cancer patients to create teams that would cater for the psychosocial needs of patients and their caregivers.
The communiqué quoted the Chairperson of the Local Organising Committee, Dr Foluke Sarimiye as reiterating the importance of psycho-oncology in the effective management of cancer.
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She explained that it involved prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and end-of-life clinical care as well as training and research.
Dr Abiodun Adeoye, the Chairman of the Chief Medical Advisory Committee said that the burden of cancer is increasing daily in Nigeria.
According to him, those who will be able to apply the therapeutic models provided by the field of psycho-oncology are highly needed to give comfort and solace to cancer patients.
The communiqué also quoted the immediate past President and founder of POSON, Prof. Chioma Asuzu, as saying that “the University College Hospital Ibadan is leading Africa in the practice of psycho-oncology’’.
She urged the hospital to appropriately recognise and encourage the practice of psycho-oncology by properly integrating it into the cancer care routine.
(NAN)
