ALMATY – The public fund Together Against Cancer, which recently marked its five-year anniversary, has launched a new project to create a mobile team of palliative care in Almaty.
The fund’s newest project aims to help cancer patients end their lives in comfort and dignity. The philosophy of palliative care is to create comfort and provide opium analgesics and psychological and social help to patients in the third and fourth stages of cancer.
The palliative care team, consisting of a doctor, a nurse and a psychologist, will help patients at home, as most late-stage cancer patients prefer home care. Part of the funds for the project have already been collected, and sponsors have paid for the purchase of specialised transport.
Over the five years of its existence, Together Against Cancer has held scientific forums, conducted 20 workshops, helped train dozens of physicians, purchased equipment and attracted investment to cancer care services, all using donations it collected.
Head of Almaty’s Municipal Health Department Zhannat Kassymdzhanov said that it is impossible to imagine urban healthcare without this nongovernmental organisation working in close connection with the cancer centre and the centre of palliative care.
“There are more that 17,000 people in Kazakhstan with cancer, and our task is to unite our efforts for a successful fight against cancer,” said Together Against Cancer Executive Director Gulnara Kunyrova. “We attract reputable surgeons and other specialists to train our doctors, organise open days and mass actions with the population, promote a healthy lifestyle and run a hotline for consultations with oncologists and vaccination rooms for human papilloma virus.”
The NGO is supported by the Fund of the First President and its chief, Chair of the Majilis Committee for Socio-Cultural Development Dariga Nazarbayeva. It is also supported by other public organisations and companies and the citizens of Almaty, among whom are well-known artists and cultural workers whose popularity attracts people’s attention to the fight against cancer.
