MUSCAT: Oman spent more than 6 million riyals (Dh57.24 million) on cancer medicines in 2015, said Dr Bassim Bin Jaafar Al Bahrani, Director of the National Oncology Centre of the Ministry of Health.
Al Bahrani affirmed that the Ministry of Health introduced bone marrow plantation, opened nuclear accelerator and Molecular Nuclear Medicine (MNM) and Nuclear Accelerator Centre and availed modern equipment for the treatment of tumours.
It also introduced the radiological treatment for the full body, a basic step before bone marrow transplantations. Al Bahrani added in an interview with Oman daily that the Ministry of Health availed the radiological treatment equipment at the National Oncology Centre at a cost of 4 million riyals.
He also pointed out that the Ministry established the National Committee for Combating the Chronic – Non Contagious Diseases and a unit for combatting tobacco. It also introduced the early diagnoses for breast cancer services in A’Dhahirah, North A’Sharqiyah, Al Buraimi and Dhofar governorates.
‘As per the recent records of the National Oncology Centre, there are 1,314 diagnosed cancer patients including 1,212 Omanis and 102 expatriates; 7.3 per cent of the cases are children below 14 years of age. Cancer comes in second after coronary heart diseases as the most widespread among Omanis.
The most common cancers in Oman are breast, prostate, leukaemia, lymphomas, stomach, thyroid, prostate, colorectal, skin, liver and kidney. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Oman with 155 cases, while prostate cancer is the most common among men with 57 cases.
