Thread by @OpenParlyZw

WHEN ARE MEN GOING TO HAVE FREE SCREENING FOR PROSTATE CANCER?

HON. ILLOS NYONI: I heard the Minister saying the facilities are there for screening from 40 years upwards, where they are screened for cervical cancer and other cancers but for men you have to pay through the nose.

HON. NYONI: What arrangements or facilities are you putting in place for men to get this screening for free? You highlighted that this has to be done annually. Thank you. @healthtimeszim @theNCI @AmericanCancer @SU2C @BidenCancer @CR_UK @MoHCCZim @WHO

MINISTER MANGWIRO: Yes, screening of cancers in general is quite expensive for prostate cancer. Government policy is that anyone can get this screening done.

MINISTER MANGWIRO: Yes, some people pay but our aim is to make sure all men get screened at reasonable prices especially if its done in our central hospitals. There might be slight a difference if its done privately but testing in our Govt hospitals must be quite reasonable

MINISTER MANGWIRO: The chief method is advocacy so that people know this disease exists because besides testing, if one is tested, its cheaper than waiting for the disease itself to crop up when you have to now diagnose it & you have to be treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy

MINISTER MANGWIRO: So as Government, we will endeavour to make sure that this prostate testing is made cheaper and everyone should have access and afford to have it done on them while there is time before the disease shows up. I thank you.

MINISTER MANGWIRO: Screening of prostate cancer is already being done in hospitals. Besides the PSA test, we have one cheap one where I put my figure up into the anal canal and then feel the prostate.

MINISTER MANGWIRO: It is a way of screening which is quite cheap but some men do not want that, but if one goes to our hospitals and you have a sample of blood taken, they can have them tested at our central hospitals say at Parirenyatwa or Mpilo like I am saying.

MINISTER MANGWIRO: So it is a thing that is ongoing. If one is in a hospital where that test is not done, usually there is a referral system where the sample can come from a district hospital up to a central hospital and then the results are then sent back to the patient.

MINISTER MANGWIRO: So the facilities are there already but it depends on when one goes there and the most important thing is, like I said, the cheap one is my finger up there. Thank you.

HON. BRIAN DUBE: Minister, you indicated the cheaper method for prostate cancer. I am worried because the Honourable Member was requesting whether Government has plans to make it free like what is happening to the screening for women.

HON. DUBE: So I just want to find out are there plans from Government to have that for free because what it means is only those who can afford will be screened and those who cannot afford will not be screened and I believe it is not the smartest thing for Government to do.

HON. DUBE: So may we find out whether there are plans to make this free in the long run?

MINISTER MANGWIRO: I said at the beginning that the Government’s aim is to make sure most of these cancers are covered and one gets them for free.

MINISTER MANGWIRO: So this is in the pipeline such that everyone must be treated for free and must be screened for free but this will take a bit of time while the planning, seeing where the monies can be taken from, say from the Aids levies or whatever.