PETALING JAYA: A private hospital here has initiated a RM2 million breast cancer chemotherapy fund that will benefit underprivileged patients.
The fund, a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative of Beacon Hospital, was set up to help breast cancer patients living with a household income of less than RM5,000 to seek chemotherapy treatment.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, who launched the fund here yesterday, said the initiative would help subsidise up to 90 per cent of chemotherapy costs of patients.
“The cost for chemotherapy is high and through this fund, the burden of the lower income group battling breast cancer would be lessen,” said Rohani at the event.
Beacon Hospital will evaluate patients to see whether they are eligible for the fund on a case-by-case basis.
Beacon Hospital medical director and consultant clinical oncologist Datuk Dr Mohamed Ibrahim A Wahid said that the hospital’s overall CSR programme had already channelled more than RM8 million in financial aid to help ease the burden faced by many cancer patients.
“In Malaysia, one in 19 women is at risk of developing breast cancer at some point in their lifetime,” he said.
“Thus, we want the illness to be detected early as this not only saves lives but could reduce the cost of treatment especially chemotherapy,” he added.
Meanwhile, Rohani told reporters later that the ministry was hopeful that more allocations would be included in the 2018 Budget for women’s health and wellness programmes. — Bernama