KUCHING: The Society for Cancer Advocacy and Awareness Kuching (SCAN) held its sixth Sarawak Patients Organisation Knowledge Exchange (SPOKE) programme recently, bringing together non-governmental organisations (NGOs), healthcare professionals and agencies to strengthen cancer care support in Sarawak, with a focus on simplifying access to financial aid.
SCAN said the programme aimed to identify common issues faced by the cancer community and to encourage wider participation among cancer-related NGOs in engaging government agencies to present a stronger collective voice for improvements in cancer healthcare services.
This year’s SPOKE discussion, themed ‘From Application to Aid’, centred on navigating the financial assistance process for cancer patients and addressing challenges that often arise during applications.
Among the presenters were Majlis Kanser Nasional (MAKNA) representative, Farahida Mohd Farid, who spoke on MAKNA’s role in assisting cancer patients, and Sarawak General Hospital representative, Nor’Asmawati Mohd Ali Abdul Rahman, who highlighted the social aspects of medical services, particularly for the B40 group.
Mohd Ali Taib also briefed participants on welfare services provided by the Sarawak Social Welfare Department (JKMS), while JKMS volunteer, Janice Lim, shared information on how members of the public can volunteer to help applicants on the ground with the application process.
The event drew around 60 representatives from 30 organisations, including MAKNA, Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society, Pink Ribbon Support Group, Cancer Survivors Malaysia, Colorectal Cancer Survivorship Society Malaysia (CORUM), Tabung Baitumal Sarawak and Tzu Chi, as well as NGOs from Kuching, Sibu and Miri.
SCAN said discussions during the session raised concerns about red tape and the frustrations patients and families face when applying for financial support.
SCAN’s President, Chris Cheng, said he was encouraged by the strong turnout and said the organisation would compile recommendations to improve the system.
“I am very encouraged by the participation of the NGOs, and we will put forward our recommendations to the authorities on advocating for better financial aid to cancer patients so that they would be able to ease their financial burden during this crucial time of their lives,” he said.
SCAN adviser, Datin Dayang Mariani, also commended the organisers, saying the SPOKE platform has continued to attract wider participation each year.
“I congratulate SCAN for once again organising a successful event. SPOKE has really brought more and more like-minded organisations together for this event, and each year we see more participation and interested individuals providing feedback and raising the issues they face,” she said.
SCAN said it will map available financial aid options and prepare a report on challenges encountered during the application process before submitting recommendations to the relevant authorities.
