Ministry Of Health Facilitates Early Detection Of Easy And Cheap Cancer At Health Centers

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health continues to strive to complement the service and early detection of cancer so that it is easy and cheap in every puskesmas.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin in a written statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Saturday, February 17, explained that this was part of a strategy to reduce the death rate due to cancer.

If cancer is known earlier, he said, the cure rate for patients is greater and the cost is cheaper.

"We are preparing all puskesmas. Hopefully this year, we can distribute all the equipment gradually to 10,000 puskesmas in 514 districts/cities," he said

He said all puskesmas in 514 districts/cities were being prepared to be able to serve early detection of cancer.

He said this early detection service is specifically for the four main types of cancer, namely breast cancer and cervical cancer in women as well as lung cancer and intestinal cancer where many cases are found in men.

The medical device in question, he said, is an ultrasound Linear Probe for early detection of breast cancer, while DNA HPV tests with results that are considered more accurate and easy compared to Pap Smear, for early detection of cervical cancer.

He said early detection services for lung cancer and intestinal cancer would also be provided.

The Ministry of Health targets that every puskesmas can carry out lung cancer screening services with a Low Dose CT-Scan (LDCT) device and colon cancer with colonoscopy. LDCT is able to detect small lesions or nodules in the lungs which may be an early sign of lung cancer.

"We will gradually complete it in 514 regencies/cities so that each puskesmas has a CT-Scan so that they can carry out the CT-Scan Low Dose procedure for early detection of lung cancer and colonoscopy for early detection of colon cancer," he said.

Minister of Health Budi hopes that this effort is in line with the increasing public awareness to go to the puskesmas and carry out screening and early detection of cancer.

The Ministry of Health is also working with collegium and professional organizations to ensure all hospitals are ready to provide cancer services.