Policemen Above 40 To Under Go Prostate Cancer Screening
Policemen Above 40 To Under Go Prostate Cancer Screening
The Nigeria Police Force has begun a free prostate cancer screening and treatment for officers and men, who are 40 years old and above as part of the welfare package of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu.
Speaking at the flag off of the programme, the Inspector General of Police said without a healthy police organization, the country can never be secured.
The IGP further said given the nature and pressure that goes with police work, it is imperative they get medical attention constantly and check themselves to know some of the diseases that can bring them down to the level that they cannot perform their critical duties.
According to him, any disease that affects the prostate can kill, but when one checks oneself constantly, at least every three months, then it can be controlled.
The IGP stated that “when we constantly check ourselves, then we can have preventive measures so that the investment the country has on us would not be in vain, because if we are taken down by diseases, we would not be able to perform our duties. For that reason, we must have the platform and capacity to be checking ourselves.
“But when you go about without knowing, the tendency is that the disease is there and you would not know until it becomes bad and then you come to realize and spend more money to treat it than you would have spent, if checked earlier.
“Today’s event is one that would help us identify whether we have such a disease or not. If we have it then, we start treatment immediately. If we don’t have it, we take precautions and know those things we need to do in order not to have the disease. I encourage every officer over 40 years to present themselves for the screening. It is free. If you do the screening and you have it, it would be better than not doing it but then you still have it. Then you would be in trouble later. I encourage all to present themselves for the screening.
“Already within the police, we have a very strong medical section that has the capacity of not only checking police officers on a daily basis but even their families and members of the public. But for us to improve on what we have, there is there need for partnership with any health organizations to keep our officers fit. What we are doing is important to the health of our officers,” Adamu said.
Founder of the Stanley Medical Foundation, Dr Stanley Boniface, said they focused on prostate cancer because it is a leading cause of death among men worldwide, but the awareness for the disease is very poor.
The Force Headquarters Chief Medical Officer, DCP Ogunsanwo Olubunmi, said the gesture was part of the IGP’s interventions for police officers to stay healthy, as they can only secure the nation if they are well.
A representative of the Ned Nwoko Foundation, Dr Chris Okobah, lauded the gesture saying it was the first of its kind in the history of the Nigeria Police.
The medical intervention was in partnership with the Stanley Medical Foundation, sponsored by the Imo State governor, Sen Hope Uzodimma and it is billed to last for 14 days.