The Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) is in the early stages of establishing Namibia’s first oncology palliative care centre, a specialised facility focusing on cancer patients.

In an interview with Nampa on Thursday, CAN Chief Executive Officer Rolf Hansen said palliative care is specialised medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness.

According to Hansen, the goal of the centre is to improve the quality of life for both patients and family members while also aligning Namibia with the rest of the world in the development of cancer care.

“There are generally step-down facilities where this type of care is provided for private care patients, but the majority of our vulnerable State patients are sent home and it is up to their families to care for them until they die. In most cases, these patients’ family members lack the knowledge and skills necessary to care for their loved ones. This centre’s establishment will alleviate that burden,” he said.

Hansen stated that CAN, along with other NGOs and stakeholders, recently returned from a stakeholder’s engagement in South Africa, where they met with the Western Cape Department of Health and the University of Cape Town medical department, both of which have established centres and have the necessary experience with the establishment and operation of such a facility.

He also said stakeholders from these institutions have been involved since the beginning and have agreed to support CAN as they have the necessary skills and knowledge to run such facilities.

“The goal of the trip was to see what these stakeholders are doing so that we can all agree on what we want to achieve with the resources we have in Namibia,” he explained.

The facility is in the process of being established, Hansen said, noting that it is a three-year project with an estimated cost of about N.dollars 5 million that is entirely funded by CAN.

In a separate interview, Ben Nangombe, Executive Director of the Ministry of Health and Social Services, said the ministry is aware of CAN’s plans to establish the facility for the benefit of the Namibian people, adding that the provision of public health services is by definition a partnership and that if there are entities bringing on board services that benefit the people of this country, it is always welcomed by the ministry.

“These initiatives that will benefit our country and its people are greatly appreciated, especially if there are potential funders who will make it possible with provided resources, for such facilities to be established. This is consistent with the government’s efforts to strengthen our healthcare services throughout the country,” Nangombe said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency