BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - The newly-appointed Minister of Health, Marcella Liburd, has called on Pink Lily Cancer Care to network closely with breast cancer group in St. Kitts to raise the profile of cancer awareness in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“Breast Cancer group in St. Kitts needs to be pro-active,” she said. Liburd made the plea when Pink Lily officials paid a courtesy call on her recently in her Basseterre office. Liburd told the officials that her late mother was a breast cancer survivor who had gone through breast cancer diagnosis early enough when a pin size lump was detected.
“My mother often educated people about the importance of early detection as early as the ’70s by giving her own experience,” Liburd said, adding that she used to assist her mother to exercise her arm after her mastectomy.
She revealed that two other persons closely related to her are battling cancer. Ms. Eronda Lewis, a Pink Lily Board member who spoke on behalf of Pink Lily during the courtesy call, briefed Hon. Liburd on the current activities being undertaken by the organisation and also informed her about past achievements.
“The response to the awareness Pink Lily has created is overwhelming. Presently, we are implementing the Breast Cancer Screening Program (BSP) where we will offer free mammograms to 100 women. The campaign targets 200 women but we have only raised EC25,000 which will finance the screening of the 100 women,” Miss Lewis said.
Ms. Lewis said the 50K200 campaign targets to screen 200 women at a cost of EC50,000. Already, 73 women have signed to get the mammograms. Pink Lily has an arrangement with Dr. Mark Hodge’s Clinic in St. Kitts where the mammograms are done.
She said Pink Lily offers pre and post counseling services to women who enlist to have mammograms. Women collect application forms from their physicians, Alexandra Hospital and clinics. Ms. Lewis said Pink Lily Cancer Care was founded by Lea Parris-Cambridge, a cancer survivor. Mrs. Parris-Cambridge and her mother were diagnosed two weeks apart.
“Lea was a fitness trainer but cancer does not choose,” Lewis said. “Our message out there is early detection saves lives. We are concentrating on prevention and early detection messages.” Lewis said the major challenge facing cancer patients was cost of treatment, especially those who are not insured.
Lewis also told the Minister it was difficult to initiate evidence-based programmes as there was no cancer registry in the Federation. Hon. Liburd assured Pink Lily officials that a health data base was underway and it would soon be instituted.
“We are renewing our commitment to primary health care. We want clinics to reach out to people in their households. We are putting an emphasis on prevention. We may use mobile clinics,” she said.
On the huge costs of treating cancer patients, Hon. Liburd said the Federation was currently working on national insurance draft through help of consultants to introduce a national insurance scheme. “We are studying different models and looking at different options. Results of the consultants’ findings will be disseminated. There will be public consultations as well. We will choose the best model,”she said.
“Our aim is to have a fit and healthy nation. Prevention and promotion of wellness is a cost effective approach to stop impending illness,” she said. “We will give incentives to persons who go for regular check-ups; we want people to take charge of their own health.”
