Madina has serious shortages of hospital rooms, medical staff, laboratories and equipment to treat cancer patients, according to a confidential report. On an annual basis, cancer kills 585 out of 740 patients diagnosed with the disease in Madina. The disease strikes 650 adults and 90 children, a rate of about two adults every day and one child every four days. The report, which was submitted to the Emir's Office, showed the number of cancer deaths in the past seven years had reached 4,150 and that 1,400 young men and women and 600 children with cancer are being treated in the city's outpatient clinics and hospitals. Limited services are provided to cancer patients in the region and that there is a lack of research that could help determine what causes cancer cases, according to the report. The report also stressed the importance of thorough followup care for cancer patients and the need for treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. An integrated oncology center, which would cost SR150 million, should be built in Madina to reduce the suffering of patients who seek treatment outside the region, according to the report, which also stressed the importance of encouraging the private sector to build oncology centers to reduce the pressure on the government hospitals.
