FG Urges Hospitals Not to Discharge Cancer Patients Without Continued Care

The Federal Government has urged healthcare facilities across the country not to discharge cancer patients who still require hospital-based care, stressing that the end of curative treatment should not mean the end of medical support.

The National Coordinator of the National Cancer Control Plan at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Uchechukwu Nwokwu, made the call in an interview on Friday, August 28.

Nwokwu said a hospital’s inability to provide additional curative treatment should not automatically result in a patient being sent home without arrangements for continued care.

He explained that when a facility lacks the capacity to provide the treatment a patient requires, the patient should be promptly referred to another appropriate healthcare facility to prevent interruptions in care.

“Even when there is no bed space, you should refer that person to where that care can be continued,” he said.

According to him, cancer patients should only be discharged when they are clinically stable, capable of taking their treatment orally and unlikely to require further medical intervention or monitoring.

“No matter how bad the situation looks, being bad is all the reason you should be in the hospital,” Nwokwu added.

He explained that cancer treatment varies depending on the type and stage of the disease and may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and targeted therapy.

Nwokwu acknowledged that patients with advanced cancer may eventually reach a stage where treatment aimed at achieving a cure is no longer medically feasible, particularly when the disease has spread to other parts of the body.

However, he stressed that the end of curative treatment should never be interpreted as the end of medical care.

Such patients, he said, still require appropriate support to manage pain and other distressing symptoms and to maintain their dignity and quality of life.

“The patient is entitled to peaceful death. A pain-free death. Even if you can no longer provide treatment that is aimed at cure, the patient should not die in pain,” he said.

Nwokwu highlighted the importance of palliative care, stressing that it should not be reserved only for patients who are nearing the end of life or have exhausted every treatment option.

He said Nigeria’s National Palliative Care Policy provides for palliative care to be integrated into cancer management from the point of diagnosis and throughout the course of the illness.

“We are not trying to say start palliative care when it is now hopeless, no, palliative care should be instituted within six weeks of diagnosis,” he said.

According to Nwokwu, palliative care goes beyond managing physical symptoms, providing support for patients dealing with psychological, social, financial and spiritual challenges associated with cancer.

He noted that cancer can affect a patient’s employment, family income and ability to meet treatment costs, while the financial and emotional burden may discourage some people from disclosing their condition or beginning and completing treatment.

He therefore called for early integration of palliative care into cancer management to ensure that patients receive comprehensive support while undergoing treatment.

Nwokwu also said spiritual support could form part of a patient’s care depending on their beliefs and preferences, but stressed that it should complement rather than replace medical treatment.

He further encouraged families to remain actively involved in cancer care, noting that the disease can have significant financial and emotional consequences for relatives.

Pain management, he said, remains a crucial component of palliative care. He explained that radiotherapy may sometimes be used to relieve pain and other symptoms rather than to cure the disease, depending on the patient’s treatment goals.

Nwokwu warned that delaying palliative care could make it more difficult for patients and their families to cope with the disease and could negatively affect their ability to start, continue or complete treatment.

He ultimately advocated for a continuous healthcare system in which cancer patients remain connected to appropriate medical services throughout their illness, receiving treatment and support based on their condition and individual needs—even when a cure is no longer possible.