The Federal Government has introduced a pain-relieving drug for cancer, HIV and other related diseases in the country.

The drug, simply called morphine, is expected to bring relief to patients suffering from the ailments.

Consequently, it has directed that morphine, which had been in use in very low quantity in health facilities in the country, should be supplied by the Federal Government and the American Cancer Society in the next one year.

The programme is being implemented under the auspices of Pain-Free Hospital Initiative.

The Managing Director of Global Cancer Treatment, Dr. Megan O’Brien, who spoke on behalf of ACS during the unveiling of morphine on Thursday evening in Abuja, said the drug will reduce the scarcity of pain relievers.

She said, “In the past, opium pain relievers were not widely used in Nigeria, and as a result, hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have suffered unnecessarily. Their unrelieved pain affected not only themselves; their suffering traumatized their families, their communities and the health workers who took care of them.”