Total inaugurates two mammogram centres in Lagos

As part of efforts to tackle the prevalence of breast cancer among Nigerian women, NNPC/ TUPNI and partners, alongside Total upstream, have donated two fully equipped mammography centres to Isolo, and Gbagada General hospitals in Lagos.

According to the Managing Director, Total E and P, Nigeria, Nicolas Terraz, the provision of the centres has become pivotal in the fight against the most common cancer in women, which often is diagnosed at the late stage.

Terraz, who was represented by the Executive General Director, Corporate Social Responsibility, Total, Vincent Nnadi, said the centres would enhance prevention of the disease because it would facilitate early diagnosis as well as aid treatment follow up of patients.

He added that the centres which is highly subsidised, seeks to end medical tourism in that area because there is availability of image guided breast lump biopsy, adding that Total and partners as part of their corporate social responsibility, are determined to continue to promote health through its projects.

In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director, Isolo General Hospital, Dr. Godwin Akhabhoa, noted that such projects aids the determination to give more patient-centered care, and that timing was very crucial to sustainable healthcare delivery in the country, and also helps to tackle the problem of detection.

The advent of this centre, he stated, would hopefully contribute to the availability of qualitative service to Nigerian women, “even though incidence rate is higher in the western world, mortality is higher here.”

He appealed for an alternative source of power to be provided for the centre, saying that, “ we need an alternate power source to the building so that irregular power supply won’t affect our services; we need a source of 100kv or more if possible from a renewal source to maximise the use of the centre.”

Hitherto the commissioning of the commissioning of the second centre at Gbagada General Hospital, the Lagos State Commissioner II, of Health, Tokunbo Oluwole said the facility is very essential to Lagos State, because with it, breast cancer can be avoided.

“This facility will go a long way in addressing infrastructure deficit in Lagos State. It is obvious that government alone cannot do it all.

“We wish that other international companies, IOCs will tap from this as we have a total of 26 General Hospitals in Lagos State. We anticipate that this development will reach other 24 hospitals, since Isolo and Gbagada General Hospitals’ needs have been addressed.”