Health

Fijians urged to seek medical advice first when treating cancer

June 29, 2020 9:05 am

Colonial War Memorial Hospital General Surgeon, Dr Ilaitia Delasau

Fijians have been urged to seek medical advice first before using other alternative methods to treat cancer.

Colonial War Memorial Hospital General Surgeon, Dr Ilaitia Delasau says in some cases, they have the ability to manage them however patients opted for other alternative methods of treating cancer such as prayers, traditional medicine causing them to present at a very late stage.

Dr. Delasau says different patients present cancer at different stages and it’s crucial for them to follow medical professional’s decision that could help them.

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“I don’t really like when patients say I am going to pray about it when I am offering something surgical when I know that it can be cured and they say, no I am going to pray about it. I t saddens me when patience do that, they go away and pray about it and a few months later they presented with the complications of that at a time where I could have done something to prevent it from progressing to that stage.”

Dr. Delasau says the prayers, traditional medicine and massages are good as we are born and blessed with it but it should not delay your presentation to hospitals.

55 cancer cases has been recorded so far this year.