Accra, GNA - The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) on Friday presented three cartons of methotrexate, a cancer drug, worth 2.1 billion cedis on behalf of the National Cancer Coalition of America to the Korle-Bu and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospitals, respectively. In addition to the drugs were assorted medical books for the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to aid health care delivery.

The drugs are for the Children's Cancer Units of both Hospitals, as they were very expensive and difficult to obtain. Mr Samuel Asante-Mensah, Country Director, ADRA-Ghana, said the donation was an opener for the Coalition to establish a cordial relationship with the two major health institutions in the country.

He said plans were far advanced by the Coalition to establish a cancer project in Africa, which would commence in Ghana. Mr Asante-Mensah stated that Ghana had been fortunate to receive 45,000 out of the 80,000 units of the cancer drugs intended for the African Project and expressed the hope that the Project would help to reduce the rising cancer cases among Africans.

He said the Director of International programme of the Coalition would visit the country in April or May this year to explore the necessary areas of operation and further establish the rapport needed for its operation. Mr Asante-Mensah said the rationale behind the Cancer Project in Africa was to ensure that people did not present cancer cases at their terminal stages.

Mrs Rebecca Nordor, Director of Pharmacy, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, confirmed the difficulties faced by the Hospital as well as patients in securing such drugs for treatment and said a box of methotrexate that was donated by the Coalition, costs about four million cedis. She stated that the scarcity of certain advanced cancer drugs in the country posed great difficulty for both health personnel and patients, as the delays created further complications.

Mrs Nordor thanked the donors for their support and further requested for some higher doses of other skin cancer drugs for adults.