Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has ordered the establishment of a body independent from the Health Ministry to follow up on the oncology centres and help organize and secure the needed drugs.

Dbeibah held an expanded meeting to discuss the matter with Health Minister Ramadan Abu Janah, the directors of oncology centres, the head of the Medical Supply Authority, and the director of the National Center for Decision Support.

According to the GNU media office, discussions focused on the conditions of the oncology centres, their needs, and the challenges they face.

"The PM issued instructions to the National Decision Support Center to discuss the issue and submit a final proposal in this regard," the office said.

For his part, Health Minister Abu Janah praised the decision and said it would help regulate the work and care system in this area.

Oncology patients in Libya are suffering from a lack of medicines and modern equipment in the centres, while health officials at these centres say one of the top challenges they face is the lack of staff, including consultants and specialists.

In Libya, 28,991 cancer cases were diagnosed in 2021, according to the Health Ministry's statistics. Six to eight thousand were children.