NEW BREAST CANCER DEVICE INAUGURATED (PAGE 29)

Authorities of Breast Cancer International (BCI), in collaboration with the Peace and Love Hospital at Oduom in Kumasi, has launched a digital sensing device designed to enhance early detection of breast cancer among women to facilitate their treatment.
The equipment, dubbed ‘SureTouch’, allows doctors to conduct a pain and radiation –free breast examination by scanning the breast tissue, and thereby making it easy for doctors to detect the disease even at its early stages.
Unlike the mammogram, which rigidly compresses the breast and expose it to harmful radiation, ‘SureTouch” is not only painless, but also radiation free, which enables women from 18 years and above to examine their breasts, for the detection of any tumour hidden in the breast tissue.
The device, which also has a document management facility for medical practitioners to print, store and move images around through e-mail, was developed in the United States of America and is the first of its kind to be introduced into the country.
According to medical experts, “SureTouch” “is unique because it can detect lumps through all areas of the outer aspects of the breast”.
The President of BCI, Dr Mrs Beatrice Wiafe Addai, and Dr Ian Finlayson of Australia jointly launched the device.
In her address, Dr Wiafe Addai said the inauguration of the device had enabled her to realise her dream because it would reduce the mortality rate of women who suffer from breast cancer.
She pointed out that she would liaise with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to provide opportunities for women who had breast cancer related cases to be diagnosed with the device to enhance early detection and treatment.
She said the small size of the device and its easy mobility, “ allows doctors to conduct breast examination in their own offices instead of having to send patients to specialist diagnostic centres”.
She noted that since the device could be used to screen women during outreach programmes in every part of the country, and was very accurate in detecting breast cancer, it would contribute greatly to the collection of data and building of profiles that would describe the characteristics of the lesion, including its estimated size, shape, hardness and location.
This, she said, would also make treatment very easy and affordable.
The South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Mrs Lallie Zodwa, who graced the function, commended Dr Wiafe Addai for her sense of initiative and commitment to issues concerning the health of women.
She said issues related to breast cancer should be taken seriously because the disease could now affect females in their teens and make their lives miserable.
“ With the easy detection of breast cancer through this device, the life of women would now be enhanced, so I urge women to take advantage of the availability of the device to seek medical care at regular intervals,” she said.
In his remarks, the Kumasi Metropolitan Medical Health Director, Dr Ewusi Yeboah, said the Ghana Health Service was very keen in collaborating with private medical institutions such as the Peace and Love Hospital to provide quality and affordable health care for patients.
He noted that since the government alone could not provide medical care to all Ghanaians, there was the need for the private sector to collaborate effectively with the government in the provision of medical services to enhance productivity and accelerated socio-economic development of the country.