Mithuruwela, Cancer Support Network Activity Update - July - August 2005
1.Publication of Brochures
a.Brochures on the NCI
5000 brochures (Sinhala) on the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama were handed over to the Medical Education Unit of the hospital. These brochures described cancer in general and the facilities available at the NCI will be handed to each patient on registration.
3000 brochures in English will be made available soon. Editorial problems with regard to the Tamil brochures have been ironed out and these brochures will shortly be given for printing (2000 copies).
b. Breast cancer Brochures
Brochures on Breast cancer are currently in press. One is a comprehensive brochure covering aspects of treatment and after –effects, and the other includes a set of topics related to Breast cancer such as Breast Self examination, Mammography etc forwarded to Mithuruwela by Professor AH Sheriffdeen, one of our patrons. The brochures have been given approval by the Medical Advisor on Breast cancer, and currently the English version is being printed (5000 copies), while the Sinhala translation has been undertaken by the Translation team. The Tamil translation will be started soon.
Once printed, we hope to distribute the brochures to health care centres dealing with Breast cancer in the public, as well as the private sector. Centres outside Colombo too will be provided these brochures.
c. Other brochures
The Medical Education Unit of the NCI at Maharagama has also handed over two other brochures – one on Chemotherapy and the other on leukemia, for children. We are currently looking at printing arrangements for these. The two brochures are in Sinhala (with illustrations). They will need to be translated into English and Tamil.
2. Fund – raising
There is a steady sale of the 2 Mithuruwela stickers, and we thank all Volunteers who have readily undertaken to sell them.
There also has been a fair amount of Voluntary contributions from Sri Lanka and overseas.
We however need Volunteers who would be responsible for large-scale corporate contributions, as our Printing and other activities are steadily increasing.
3. Publicity
4. Befriending at 'Shanthi Nivasa' – Launched from Mid July 2005.
The Mithuruwela Information Center is open on specific days with Trained Mithuruwela Befirienders on duty according to a roster system and overseen by 2 volunteer Coordinators. Total callers during the period 20th July to 1st September 2005 (15 working days of the Center) was 31 with many multiple callers. A total of 71 befriending sessions were conducted with an average of around 5 sessions per day.
Key details on Befriending Sessions are as follows:
Gender – a fairly even distribution of callers (16 males and 15 females).
Who Callers were - 9 Patients and the remaining 22 were Caregivers.
Ages of callers are as follows:
10 years or less 01
11 to 15 years 01
16 to 25 years 06
26 to 55 years 18
Over 55 years 05
The types of Cancers relating to the Callers who attended befriending sessions were as follows :
Leukemia 12
Thyroid 3
Ovarian 3
Breast 2
T Cell
Lymphoma 2
Lung /
Chest 1
Stomach 1
Bowel 1
Colon 1
Throat 1
Nasopharyngeal
Lymphoma 1
Hodgkin's
Lymphoma 1
Not known 2
Main needs of Callers were as follows :
Emotional Support 27
Information 12
Financial 03
Medication / Drugs 02
(There were multiple needs in the case of a few callers.)
Callers were resident from all over the country (number of callers from each area); Bandarawela, Negombo, Madampe, Moneragala, Matara (3),Kalutara, Kahawatte, Medawachchiya(2), Kurunegala (3), Kandy (3), Kalmunai, Kattankudy, Vavuniya (2), Tissamaharama, Wennappuwa, Ampara (3), Chilaw, Kinniya, Puttalam, and Polonnaruwa.
We need more Volunteers to be trained in mid November 2005 for this important and urgently needed service. If you or, anyone you know are interested please forward your interest and contacts via e-mail to Mithuruwela. Thank you!
5. Public talks
We would like to thank Dr Dehan Gunasekera, Oncologist, Karapitiya Teaching Hospital for his very informative talk on "Aspects of Cancer" held on 7 th August at the Girl Guide Headquarters.
A number of Volunteers involved in Befriending at 'Shanthi Nivasa' attended this talk. A lively question and answer session followed the talk, during which the Volunteers were able to clarify a number of issues they had encountered.
Dr Indrani Amarasinghe, Oncologist , NCI, Maharagama will be talking to us on Breast cancer on 3rd September 2005. This will be part of the Training programme for Befrienders, and will be held at 'Mel Medura', 61, Horton Place, Colombo 7.
a.Brochures on the NCI
5000 brochures (Sinhala) on the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama were handed over to the Medical Education Unit of the hospital. These brochures described cancer in general and the facilities available at the NCI will be handed to each patient on registration.
3000 brochures in English will be made available soon. Editorial problems with regard to the Tamil brochures have been ironed out and these brochures will shortly be given for printing (2000 copies).
b. Breast cancer Brochures
Brochures on Breast cancer are currently in press. One is a comprehensive brochure covering aspects of treatment and after –effects, and the other includes a set of topics related to Breast cancer such as Breast Self examination, Mammography etc forwarded to Mithuruwela by Professor AH Sheriffdeen, one of our patrons. The brochures have been given approval by the Medical Advisor on Breast cancer, and currently the English version is being printed (5000 copies), while the Sinhala translation has been undertaken by the Translation team. The Tamil translation will be started soon.
Once printed, we hope to distribute the brochures to health care centres dealing with Breast cancer in the public, as well as the private sector. Centres outside Colombo too will be provided these brochures.
c. Other brochures
The Medical Education Unit of the NCI at Maharagama has also handed over two other brochures – one on Chemotherapy and the other on leukemia, for children. We are currently looking at printing arrangements for these. The two brochures are in Sinhala (with illustrations). They will need to be translated into English and Tamil.
2. Fund – raising
There is a steady sale of the 2 Mithuruwela stickers, and we thank all Volunteers who have readily undertaken to sell them.
There also has been a fair amount of Voluntary contributions from Sri Lanka and overseas.
We however need Volunteers who would be responsible for large-scale corporate contributions, as our Printing and other activities are steadily increasing.
3. Publicity
4. Befriending at 'Shanthi Nivasa' – Launched from Mid July 2005.
The Mithuruwela Information Center is open on specific days with Trained Mithuruwela Befirienders on duty according to a roster system and overseen by 2 volunteer Coordinators. Total callers during the period 20th July to 1st September 2005 (15 working days of the Center) was 31 with many multiple callers. A total of 71 befriending sessions were conducted with an average of around 5 sessions per day.
Key details on Befriending Sessions are as follows:
Gender – a fairly even distribution of callers (16 males and 15 females).
Who Callers were - 9 Patients and the remaining 22 were Caregivers.
Ages of callers are as follows:
10 years or less 01
11 to 15 years 01
16 to 25 years 06
26 to 55 years 18
Over 55 years 05
The types of Cancers relating to the Callers who attended befriending sessions were as follows :
Leukemia 12
Thyroid 3
Ovarian 3
Breast 2
T Cell
Lymphoma 2
Lung /
Chest 1
Stomach 1
Bowel 1
Colon 1
Throat 1
Nasopharyngeal
Lymphoma 1
Hodgkin's
Lymphoma 1
Not known 2
Main needs of Callers were as follows :
Emotional Support 27
Information 12
Financial 03
Medication / Drugs 02
(There were multiple needs in the case of a few callers.)
Callers were resident from all over the country (number of callers from each area); Bandarawela, Negombo, Madampe, Moneragala, Matara (3),Kalutara, Kahawatte, Medawachchiya(2), Kurunegala (3), Kandy (3), Kalmunai, Kattankudy, Vavuniya (2), Tissamaharama, Wennappuwa, Ampara (3), Chilaw, Kinniya, Puttalam, and Polonnaruwa.
We need more Volunteers to be trained in mid November 2005 for this important and urgently needed service. If you or, anyone you know are interested please forward your interest and contacts via e-mail to Mithuruwela. Thank you!
5. Public talks
We would like to thank Dr Dehan Gunasekera, Oncologist, Karapitiya Teaching Hospital for his very informative talk on "Aspects of Cancer" held on 7 th August at the Girl Guide Headquarters.
A number of Volunteers involved in Befriending at 'Shanthi Nivasa' attended this talk. A lively question and answer session followed the talk, during which the Volunteers were able to clarify a number of issues they had encountered.
Dr Indrani Amarasinghe, Oncologist , NCI, Maharagama will be talking to us on Breast cancer on 3rd September 2005. This will be part of the Training programme for Befrienders, and will be held at 'Mel Medura', 61, Horton Place, Colombo 7.
posted by Mithuruwela Cancer Support Network @ 12:53 PM
<< Home