(From left): Sunway Medical Centre chief executive officer Dr Seow Vei Ken, Sunway Healthcare Group president Datuk Lau Beng Long, Sunway Cancer Centre general manager Dr Heng Siew Ping and Sunway Healthcare Group managing director (Hospitals & Healthcare Operations) Dr Khoo Chow Huat at the launch of the Cancer Support Fund at Sunway Medical Centre.
Sunway Healthcare Group aims to offer 2,000 free cancer screenings and subsidised treatments through Cancer Support Fund
SUNWAY Healthcare Group (SHG) has introduced its new Cancer Support Fund worth RM2.5mil to support underprivileged patients at Sunway Medical Centre.
As part of its Brave the Cancer campaign launched last Thursday, the Cancer Support Fund will facilitate subsidised cancer treatments for its beneficiaries at Sunway Medical Centre in the Klang Valley.
“Our Brave the Cancer campaign aims to raise awareness towards the symptoms of cancer, the importance of early detection, as well as the treatment and palliative care we must look into.
“We believe this campaign complements the National Health Screening Programme by the Health Ministry, in line with our belief that any initiative to encourage and support Malaysians in the war against cancer requires a united front,” said Sunway Healthcare Group president Datuk Lau Beng Long in a statement.
Lau added that he hopes the fund can alleviate the difficulties of patients who have already begun their cancer treatment, but are unable to continue due to financial constraints.
Lau said that he hopes to reach as many underprivileged cancer patients as possible through the fund.
“We have observed that the number of cases we are treating has increased a great deal.
“Cancer treatment, therapy and medication is expensive, and there are cases whereby patients are trapped and unable to afford to continue their treatment.
“The whole purpose of this fund is to assist these patients in terms of their treatment, so that those in need can be helped and we can benefit as many people as possible,” said Lau during the campaign launch.
Qualified applicants of the fund will be entitled to discounted rates for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stem cell transplants, Car T-cell therapy and targeted radionuclide therapy, which will be subsidised by the Cancer Support Fund.
Lau shared that applications could take around a week to approve, with urgent cases given priority and early approval if necessary.
In addition to the subsidised treatments, SHG will be providing 2,000 free screenings periodically, as part of the Cancer Support Fund, for high risk groups of common cancers in Malaysia such as lung cancer, cervical cancer and colorectal cancer.
The launch of the fund this month will also be offering 500 free mammogram screenings for breast cancer – in line with Pink October – at both Sunway Medical Centre in Sunway City, Selangor, and Sunway Medical Centre Velocity in Cheras, KL.
Lau added that SHG aims to ensure patients have access to the finest care possible, which is why they have formed a special body of healthcare professionals to provide the best treatment for patients.
“The tumour board convenes weekly to review complex cancer cases and ensure patients receive the most ideal treatment plan for the best possible outcome.
“This is in addition to the availability of a comprehensive range of the latest state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic technologies located within the one-stop Sunway Cancer Centre,” he said.
The centre will be introducing a buddy programme system as well, whereby cancer survivors volunteer to provide emotional and psychological support to aid patients undergoing cancer treatment.
For more information about the Sunway Cancer Support Fund and its free cancer screenings, visit https://cancer.sunwaymedical.com/en/support-fund/
