Medical experts, societies mark Cancer Day
Activists, medical experts, and doctors mark World Cancer Day on February 4, against the backdrop of national efforts at various levels to combat the disease and enhance public awareness of the serious health hazard. Kuwaiti authorities and concerned quarters have been offering all possible aid for the cases, materially and morally, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, represented by the Kuwait Cancer Control Center, and hospitals.
Moreover, specialized societies play a pivotal role in supporting the cases financially and morally. Al-Sidra Association, since its establishment on January 23, 2012, has hosted more than 16,000 Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti patients, providing them with psychological support by specialists and volunteers, helping them cope with their condition, and accepting the treatment, said Sheikha Azza Jaber Al-Ali Al-Sabah, the founder and chairwoman of the association, in an interview with KUNA.
The society holds individual and group support sessions, enabling patients to learn from survivors’ experiences and how to cope with psychological challenges. The treatment aims to encourage patients to remain good-looking and maintain self-confidence. It includes massage, yoga, deep breathing sessions, educational lectures, and workshops for enlightening the public on means of coping with cancer.
Sheikha Azza added that the association financially aids limited-income patients and offers free transport for them and their families for examinations at the center and the affiliated ones. Altaf Al-Issa, a psychological therapist, told KUNA that some of the major problems in combating the disease are the lack of a sufficient number of cadres, affirming that society is ready to coordinate with volunteers and specialists. Meanwhile, Director General of the Patients Helping Fund Jamal Al-Fozan said the number of patients who benefit financially from society per year amounts to 350–550, and the cost stands at KD 5,412,000 (last year).
The Patients Helping Fund Society has continued to launch annual campaigns in support of cancer patients since its establishment in 1979, affirming its readiness to offer financial help to the limited-income residents of Kuwait. Dr. Iman Al-Shemmari, the secretary of the Cancer Awareness National Campaign (CAN), affirmed that the MoH cadres contribute to combating cancer via the centers and the awareness campaigns.
Thyroid cancer is one of the most widely spread cancers in the country; however, it is largely treatable due to the availability of needed devices, drugs, and qualified cadres, she said. The CAN campaign, since its launch in 2006, has sought to enhance public awareness of various kinds of cancer, namely breast cancer and thyroid cancer, noting that awareness has become wider and many people in Kuwait have become aware of the necessity of early detection and the best treatments.