100 children among 800 being treated at Cancer Hospital

MOHAMMED NAALIR

Eight hundred cancer patients including 100 children receive residential treatment at the Maharagama Cancer Hospital, Maharagama National Cancer Institute Director Dr. Kanishka Karunaratne said.

He said the number of cancer patients are increasing drastically and nearly 10,000 to 11,000 patients are identified each year in Sri Lanka.

Addressing the media at Galle Face Hotel on Tuesday, Dr. Karunaratne said that 800 to 1,000 cancer patients receive clinical treatment daily.

He said surgical equipment and medicine for cancer patients are more expensive than other medicine and surgical equipment. The Government has to spend a huge amount daily to treat cancer patients, Dr. Karunaratne said.

There are many institutions assisting the Maharagama Cancer Hospital. The hospital has received donations in Rs. 100 million within the past eight months. It is difficult to manage a hospital depending only on Government funds, Dr. Karunaratne said.

Moves are underway to construct a three storeyed hostel for patients with Rs. 150 million financial assistance from the Australia based CCC Institution and Peter Maclum Cancer hospital and Sri Lankan philanthropists.

Dr. Karunaratne said the CCC Institution has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry for the project.