By Shuhada Elis

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has approved an annual allocation of RM4.3 million to provide external breast prostheses and special brassieres to breast cancer survivors.

 

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Senator Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said those with a household income of below RM5,000 a month qualified for the scheme. "The cabinet has approved the allocation due to appeals from non-governmental organisations to help survivors. We take the matter seriously."We do not want to see patients and survivors suffer in silence," she said at the ministry yesterday.Also present were National Welfare Foundation (NWF) chief executive officer Datuk Sayed A. Rahman Sayed Mohd, Breast Cancer Welfare Association (BCWA) president Ranjit Kaur and Pantai Medical Centre consultant breast surgeon Dr Patricia Gomez.

Shahrizat said many survivors were affected by social and psychological stigma after their breasts were removed as they could not afford to buy the prosthesis and special bra.The set costs between RM700 and RM1,000 each.

Shahrizat said the number of patients nationwide was worrying as 8,632 or 13 per cent of the 65,416 cancer patients nationwide suffered from breast cancer in 2008.
Meanwhile, Dr Gomez said the incidence of breast cancer had increased from one in every 30 women in the 1960's to one in every 19 women today.
She said government help was crucial in ensuring that survivors healed completely as the healing process involved women's image and dignity.

Shahrizat said the NWF would help the ministry while BCWA and other NGOs would recommend names of survivors who qualified to receive the assistance.
Sayed A. Rahman said NWF would try to approve applications referred to them as fast as possible without unnecessary red tape.

He said survivors only needed to obtain a referral from medical social officers from government hospitals after being diagnosed as breast cancer patients.