Pearl Oncology Partners NNRH TO Launch Chemotherapy Day Centre & Oncology Clinic

…announces quality cancer care for patients in Ojo community

Leading multi-disciplinary cancer centre, Pearl Oncology today strengthened its partnership with the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Ojo (NNRH), to launch a chemotherapy day centre and oncology clinic. The day centre is a well-equipped dedicated space within the premises of NNRH where cancer patients can receive care daily. Since December 2021, through its partnership with NNRH, Pearl Oncology has provided oncologist-led consultations, safe chemotherapy services and multidisciplinary tumour board meetings.

Both institutions are dedicated to closing the cancer care gap and providing affordable treatment for cancer patients in the Ojo community. We strive to improve the efficiency of our oncology team and offer comfort and convenience to patients during their treatment. Our Chemotherapy Day Centre provides affordable and high-quality cancer treatment, equipped with modern oncology equipment such as chemotherapy chairs, four infusion pumps, vital sign monitors, a smart TV for patient education, and chemotherapy mixing equipment. We are committed to enhancing the patient experience and ensuring their comfort during chemotherapy sessions.

This development is the latest in the concerted drive to increase access to cancer care by both parties. The facility’s launch represents a significant milestone in providing accessible, personalized treatment to cancer patients in Nigeria.

Speaking at the launch, the Commandant of NNRH, Surgeon Captain A.S. Mohammed, highlighted the pertinence of establishing the facility in light of the alarming prevalence of cancer and expressed delight in the NNRH being a one-stop-cancer clinic for all treatment needs following the launch of the chemotherapy day centre & oncology clinic.

“We can all see the rising incidence of malignancies and more cancers in our society. It’s no longer a case of only communicable diseases. It is now a double jeopardy case – we still have communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and malignancies such as breast cancer also hitting us hard.

For us at the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital, Ojo, this burden of cancer is well known to us. Before Pearl Oncology came on board, we faced many challenges in delivering cancer care. Our patients experienced difficulties as we had to refer them to specialist hospitals far from our base and their homes. The patient experience across these hospitals varied. From long wait times to us not being there to facilitate, which created issues because our personnel and family were already used to our modus operandi, where you come in, and you receive your care-things are facilitated as much as possible. This made us send patients to as far as Ibadan or Ife in search of proper care. We are therefore pleased to have Pearl Oncology on board to handle the cancer treatment and navigation needs of our patients,” said Surgeon Captain A.S Mohammad.

On her part, the Founder of Pearl Oncology, Dr Omolola Salako, thanked the management of the NNRH for their commitment to bridging the cancer care gap and articulated how the launch of the Chemotherapy Day Centre will ameliorate the pain of patients and their caregivers.

“We are grateful to the leadership of the NNRH and to the Surgeon Captain A.S. Mohammed in particular, who has professionally guided us and has ensured cancer care is available in this axis. It’s been a collaborative experience working with a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, gynaecologists, nurses and other staff here at NNRH. The reason why we are here today is that we are solving a public health crisis as a result of cancer. We believe we can do more to treat and support cancer patients and their loved ones, one community at a time. Cancer is a disease that takes a toll when it occurs – physically, emotionally, spiritually and financially. But there’s a second problem it creates: many patients don’t know where to get treated and many hospitals lack cancer care teams and oncology services. Many patients do not have cancer care close to their homes. So, in the past, a patient with cancer around this environment would travel at least two hours a day to get care in a specialist hospital.

The launch event featured a testimonial from a cancer survivor of the NNRH, Ms Lara Adetola(Pseudonym), who narrated: “My journey started in 2021, and I started treatment in 2022 with chemotherapy. After the chemotherapy, surgery was performed on me, and I did four more courses of chemotherapy. Following the chemotherapy, I embarked on my radiotherapy for 16 days, which was successful to God be the glory. Thank you to Pearl Oncology for the treatment, to the Nigerian Navy Hospital for the support and to family and friends for being with me.”

When Clinical Oncology services started in December 2021, Pearl Oncology would come in every Wednesday and administer chemotherapy in a consulting room, which we shared with many other specialists and doctors. Then, we would have about six patients waiting while we administered chemotherapy to two patients simultaneously and had a consulting room by the side. After one year, we made a move to improve the patient experience and expand the capacity of the chemotherapy room so that our oncology team could deliver world-class cancer care to more patients at NNRH,” said Dr Salako.

Esther Obinyan, the Hospital Manager at Pearl Oncology, provided an overview of the 19 months clinical partnership. She also highlighted the organization’s fourth core value, partnership. We embrace individuals and the collaborative wisdom of the group, including patients, caregivers, team members, specialists, partners, investors, and each other. We foster a collegial environment for harmonious and sustainable patient care with local and global partners.

Furthermore, Dr Salako revealed that the clinic is integrating a customized and secure web application for cancer patients to their side effects and receive prompt clinical advice on how to care for themselves. She stated that Pearl Oncology is a research-focused cancer centre and was recently awarded an international research grant to expand virtual cancer care to underserved communities. We are excited to collaborate on research with NNRH based on its significant efforts in research.

Pearl Oncology is a Lagos-based chain of cancer centres, and we envision to be the first choice of humane cancer care and an ally to conquer cancer in Africa. Through our chain of cancer centres, research, education and technology, our mission is to prevent, treat, cure and palliate cancer while advancing calm, clarity and hope in every patient interaction. The organisation believes patients deserve access to the best cancer care available, as well as the clarity, calmness, and confidence to fight cancer.