[File Photo]

The Lautoka Hospital diagnoses an average of four cancer patients on a weekly basis, according to statistics from January to March this year.

Due to the high cost of living, many families with cancer patients are becoming more reliant on charitable organizations for their care.

Lautoka Hospital Surgical Registrar, Doctor Praneet Hanish says the rate of diagnosing cancer patients has increased, but many first-world cancer treatments are not available locally.

“So the first three months have 61 positive cancer cases, and that’s for our cancer units. That’s like telling two people in three days that they have cancer”

The Ministry of Health stated earlier this year that approximately 9, 544 cancer cases were registered from 2015 to 2020, with the numbers showing an upward trend.