The Inkatha Freedom Party has on called for more education on breast cancer to be focused in rural areas as breast examinations on patients and late detection is the biggest problem facing treatment of breast cancer.

“As October is observed as Breast Cancer Awareness Month we believe that is it important to call for more awareness about breast cancer and encourage people to check their status on time. Rural cancer patients always complain about the pain and discomfort of regular and lengthy journeys to remote treatment centres and the high travel costs that they face. Those living in sparsely populated rural areas suffer the greatest isolation and more needs to be done to help them,” said IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson on Health, Ncamisile Nkwanyana, MPL.

“Bringing the treatment closer to the patient such as offering chemotherapy in local clinics, can be a better option. We believe that a more coordinated approach is needed to tackle cancer morbidity and mortality. What is needed now are funds and commitments to improving treatment for women once they are diagnosed. The lack of access to equipment particularly for rural women is a serious concern,”  Mrs Nkwanyana said in a statement to the Courier.

“Another concerning issue is the lack of chemotherapy across most of the rural hospitals. There is a need to up-skill staff in rural hospitals so that they can provide chemotherapy services to patients so that patients are not forced to travel long distance,” she concluded.