Soroptimists round off Pink October with donation to Oncology Unit   |06 November 2021

Mrs Ah Moye hands over the donation to Dr Louange on behalf of the Soroptimists

To mark the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Soroptimist International Club of Victoria has made a donation to the Oncology Unit at the Seychelles Hospital.

Former Club President Marie Ah Moye officially handed over 48 breast prostheses and sets of disposable curtains to the chief executive of the Health Care Agency (HCA), Dr Danny Louange, in a short ceremony on Wednesday, November 3, 2021.

Addressing the gathering who included Soroptimist President Myra Labiche and member Zakiya Vidot, the deputy CEO of the HCA, Kathleen Cecile, as well as Doctor Johanna Rapanarilala, nurses and staff of the Oncology Unit, Mrs Ah Moye, who was in charge of procuring the items, explained that the prostheses will support the patients in need while the curtains will be safer in controlling infection and in the long run be more cost-effective for the unit and the HCA in general.

Noting that the Soroptimist International Club of Victoria has long been a partner in helping alleviate the suffering of cancer patients, Mrs Ah Moye said that the Club was also happy to confirm its recent payment of R88,971.10 to support the first semester fees of a two-year Master-Online study programme in “Advanced Oncology’ being undertaken by Dr Johanna from the Oncology unit as part of the Club's efforts towards improving the clinical care of cancer patients locally.

Expressing her gratitude to everyone who facilitated the purchase and shipping of the prostheses and curtains to Seychelles, Mrs Ah Moye said, “Thank you to the public for your donations as without your contributions we would not have been able to make such a donation. Thank you Soroptimist sister Mrs Zakiya Vidot for organising the airfreight of the prostheses, Mr Kesha Patel after kindly agreeing to airfreight the prostheses from Mumbai to Seychelles at no cost and Dr Pawan Mehrotra from Porti Re Prothesis in Delhi for his support and generosity. The company agreed to sell the prostheses at a special price. They also paid for the transport and customs costs from Delhi to Mumbai. We are grateful to Mr Adam Umarji for organising the shipping and delivery of the curtains free of charge. Last, but not least, a big thank you to the doctors, nurses, and all staff of the Oncology ward for the care and support you give to all the patients.”

On behalf of the Health Care Agency and the hospital’s Oncology unit, Dr Danny Louange thanked the Soroptimist Club for its partnership and loyalty towards the unit, the Agency, and the community. He noted that the club remains a key partner and has applauded the Soroptimist Club for its continued hard work to always find the right quality of items that suit the local climate.

“The team at the Oncology unit has set and maintained the standards for the unit. This donation will further support the unit to continue to serve the people. Breast cancer has a big impact on people’s lives and having a prosthesis will only improve the lives of the patients. We shall follow up with the team and establish how we can have our own stock for the unit,” affirmed Dr Louange.

The Oncology Unit’s staff nurse manager, Lucie Quillindo, for her part expressed her heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to Club members for their continued presence at the unit, their generosity and for being there, not only for the patients but for the staff as well.

“The Ministry of Health should continue to order more of these items for the benefit of the patients,” she stated.

The donation worth R72,761.53 includes clearing costs in Seychelles for the prostheses and customs costs of R7,810.86 locally.

Press communiqué from the Soroptimist International Club of Victoria