The Kano Comprehensive Cancer Treatment Center will be ready for commissioning by June or July 2021, according to Mario Stella, Programme Manager, TEAM Nigeria Company Limited, a consulting firm for BICO Nigeria Limited, an engineering coy contracted for the project.
Recall that the project was conceived by governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje during a trip to Melbourne, Australia early this year and vowed to execute same in Kano.
On returning from the trip, the governor swung into action by signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with some companies which led to the commencement of the project early this year.
Speaking during a media tour to the construction site by some selected journalists in Kano State on Tuesday, Stella said the project would be completed by June or July 2021.
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He said the project is now at 50 percent completion stage after it had been redesigned, adding that it would have been at 80% completion stage before it was reviewed.
Stella added that the project had been stalled due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the state, coupled with alterations on its initial plans, which includes creating third floor and some additional compartments.
He disclosed that the project initially was planned to gulp N2.3 billion, but had now reached over N5 billion due to the addition of the third floor, a bridge and other compartments in the project.
Explaining the project to the newsmen, the Executive Secretary, Kano State Health Trust Fund, Dr Nura Idris said the center would be equipped with three radio therapy machines to be installed in bunkers.
According to him, the machines, which include Halcyon, True Beam and Brachy are used to treat all kind of cancer in human body.
He explained that the Halcyon and True Beam, which are external beam radio therapy machines, are used to kill the cells of the tumor, making it flatten gradually.
“The Brachy is used to emit its radiation internally without beam to treat cancer by killing the cells of the tumor internally,” he said
He said the cancer center is the only one owned by a state government in Nigeria, as the only three cancer treatment centres in the country are owned by the Federal Government.
The ES further explained that the cancer treatment center can treat all kind of cancer and equipped with testing laboratories to make it comprehensive.
“This cancer treatment center could treat 60 to 100 patients a day. It is the only of its kind in Nigeria. It is the only center owned by state government.
” We are up bit that the contractors would meet the deadline to complete the project as they stated,” he said
