A campaign to re-build the National Cancer Institute is being launched and nothing less than the best will do, reports Reem Leila Parents of children with cancer are taking a stand, demanding less talk and more action. The battle against cancer is harrowing under the best conditions but Ola Ghabour, head of the Association of Friends of the National Cancer Institute (AFNCI), posits a further hurdle: what will cancer patients do if one of the most important facilities capable of treating patients is overcrowded and under-equipped to handle the hundreds of patients waiting for care? What if it totally collapsed? For years patients desperately in need of treatment have been journeying across the country to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Following the collapse of the NCI's southern wing about a month ago, concerned authorities have launched a fund-raising campaign to build a state-of-the-art NCI, similar to the Children's Cancer Hospital, popularly known as "57357". On 3 March Mrs Suzanne Mubarak met with Hani Hilal, minister of higher education and scientific research, Hossam Kamel, president of Cairo University, Salah Abdel-Hady, head of NCI and Ola Ghabour, head of AFNCI, to discuss the national fund-raising campaign. Hilal told the media that the aim is to build a huge medical complex which is planned to serve Egypt, other Middle East countries and Africa. "The complex will offer a unique medical service treating one of the most dangerous diseases in the world," said Hilal. It will include a research centre, a residence for doctors and nurses, a special department for early diagnosis and provide educational services in the cancer field to create a new generation of doctors trained in dealing with the disease. A non-governmental association will be created with Mrs Mubarak at its head to follow up on the implementation process and fund raising with complete transparency. The association will be responsible for collecting donations to build the new complex. "Individuals should donate whatever amount of money they can afford to finish this project as soon as possible," says Hilal. A booklet about the new complex, the required funds, different phases of implementing the project and the time frame required for finishing this project, is being prepared. "All relevant details will be included in the 'White Book' which will be finished within the coming few weeks," added Hilal. The new project is expected to cost more than LE50 million, and will be built in 6 October governorate. Because of overstretched budgets most of the costs will have to be met by private donations, says Ghabour. It is envisaged that the new NCI will be built on 50 feddans belonging to Cairo University in Sheikh Zayed district of 6 October governorate. The new hospital is intended to be the largest such facility in the Middle East, with a capacity of 300 beds, expandable to at least 600, and an outpatient clinic capable of receiving 200 patients daily. Surgical facilities and well-equipped intensive-care units are all in the plan. Ghabour says that there will also be a department devoted to mental healthcare, underlining the project's commitment to a holistic approach, as well as a department specialising in young patients. "If there is one thing I am proud of in our struggle to provide care for children with cancer it is that we will elicit some real smiles on children's faces," Ghabour said. "People sometimes forget that children suffering from cancer yearn for the playground just as much as their healthy counterparts. They, too, want to swing, slide and sing and I am happy that we are going to help them to do so. I have treated children with cancer before and I know that they can have fun and be happy, even with this disease." Minister of State for International Cooperation Fayza Abul-Naga has signed an agreement with OPEC to provide Egypt with a grant of $700,000 towards the cost of the NCI. In addition, says Salah Abdel-Hadi, head of NCI, $1.5 million has been promised by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD). The new hospital will help in lightening the load of the current NCI, which receives many patients who journey to Cairo in search of treatment, usually after local services have failed. Since the creation of the NCI it has treated 1,057,733 people, comprising 122,099 new cancer patients, 50,399 admitted patients, and 935,634 outpatient visits. "About 38 per cent of patients are from the Cairo metropolitan area, 40 per cent from Lower Egypt and 22 per cent from Upper Egypt. Nearly 65 per cent of patients are treated free of charge and private patients generally have health insurance to cover their cost," says Abdel-Hadi. Ineffective or incomplete treatment and late diagnoses both contribute to Egypt's high mortality rate. Environmental factors also play a role, explains Abdel-Hadi, as well as poverty and lack of awareness about the illness. Even when patients do complete their treatment, families are often ill-equipped to deal with the subsequent stages of recovery. Families that cannot afford to remain in Cairo for outpatient treatment often return home, unaware that the patient may need special care or further rehabilitation after receiving chemotherapy. "Accordingly, one member of the family -- usually the mother -- will be allowed to stay with the patient as is the case at '57357'," Abdel-Hadi said. There are no national statistics on the number of children with cancer in Egypt. However, according to Hussein Khaled, vice-president of Cairo University and a member of the medical team at the AFNCI, the National Cancer Institute sees almost 150 children per week. "An estimated 4,000-8,000 new child cancer patients seek treatment at the National Cancer Institute annually," says Khaled, who urges the public to support the national fund-raising campaign. "Currently the government is overwhelmed with economic burdens. There is no harm in people trying to help themselves instead of waiting until their dream of such a vital project comes true."
