462 cases of cancer reported in VI from 2016 to 2022- Health Minister
This is according to Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) in response to a question from Second District Representative Hon Melvin M. Turnbull at the Continuation of the Sixth Sitting of the First Session of the Fifth House of Assembly on January 30, 2024.
According to the Health Minister, NHI reported an average of 14 deaths per year, with a high of 23 and a low of 6 in 2017.
He said from 2016 to 2022, NHI recorded 462 cases of cancer, with notably 74 cases recorded in total in 2022.
“With the advent of NHI in 2016, more persons than ever before now have access to health care and would have been able to access care for cancer and other conditions.
“This would have led to an apparent increase in reporting of cases in the early year of NHI, and access to better treatment and longer survival,” Hon Wheatley stated.
NHI numbers vs USVI based oncologist
The Health Minister also said the number for NHI does not bear out reports from a US Virgin Islands based oncologist that an average of 300 persons have been diagnosed with cancer in 3 years; “however, more persons are likely living longer and seeking more care locally than before, which is also a success story for the National Health Insurance Scheme.”
Dr Erole McLean Hobdy told a local news entity in October 2023 that since 2020, she had diagnosed more than 100 new cancer patients each year. She had also projected that by the end of 2023, the Penn Medical Centre would have diagnosed over 400 new cancer diagnoses in four years.
Hon Wheatley also said cancer and non-communicable diseases remain a significant concern for the territory.
“Apart from being a major cause of death in the territory, they consume considerable healthcare costs and are responsible for a significant number of healthy years lost.”
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26 Responses to “462 cases of cancer reported in VI from 2016 to 2022- Health Minister”
People, WAKE UP. These politicians are playing with our lives. We need a change. Poor mental health, poor infrastructure, poor diets.
Everything takes time but we can’t continue to stick our heads in the sand and ignore reality!
There are issues happening on a wider scale and we continue to act like we are disconnected from the world and these issues have no bearings on our living.
We must wake up.
I believe that a reduction of flesh foods eaten, especially processed foods should be disencourage or at least be deliberately reduce to a lower the relate of yearly cancer patients.
In addition, even though we the BVI is by large a mountainous place, our Caribbean neighbors would be happy to sell us more of their plant-base organic grown foods.
Eat health. Love honestly. Share and care for each others joyfully.