Walking the talk against cancer: Major fundraising planned
12 August 2016
BOMAI D WITNE
I’VE MADE many announcements since taking on the responsibility for community announcements after Sunday service at our local church in Goroka.
But last Sunday I made an announcement that I thought needed to be shared with the wider community.
Catholic Health Services in Eastern Highlands Province, in collaboration with many other organisations, is pooling ideas and resources to raise money to buy cancer treatment facilities.
The theme of the fundraising is ‘Walk the talk against cancer’ and the initiative was provoked by the lack of early detection, diagnosis, testing and specialist treatment of cancer patients in Papua New Guinea.
The death rate from cancer is increasing each year with women topping the list. Most victims are unaccounted for and suffer silently in rural areas throughout PNG.
The organisers of ‘Walk the talk’ aim to raise K10 million to buy cancer treatment facilities for facilities in Goroka, Port Moresby, Mingende and Kundiawa.
The organisers plan a walk from Goroka to Kundiawa via Gembogl from 13-19 November. This track, through the headwaters of the Asaro Valley, represents one of the most rugged and rural walks of PNG.
Along the way, participants will stop in villages to raise awareness of issues including cancer, climate change, HIV/ÁIDS and gender based violence. Medical checks and treatment will be provided by medical professionals in the group.
A corporate dinner will be held at the Dynasty restaurant in Port Moresby on 10 December and arrangements are also in place for building awareness of cancer through different media outlets.
The organisers would like to bring to the fore that cervical and breast cancer - commonly referred to as ‘sik bilong meri’ - are not only a woman’s health concern: they are a family and nation’s concern.
God’s love is manifested in the way we are conceived, born and raised, and the same love requires us to take action by raising funds to buy cancer treatment facilities. This act will give hope to cancer victims throughout Papua New Guinea.
Individuals, state and private organisations can be part of the fundraising activities in the following ways.
Naming right in the walk against cancer, K500,000-K1 million.
State owned enterprises, K50,000-K100,000
Foreign embassies/high commissions, K30,000-K100,000
Corporate sponsors, K20,000-K50,000
Members of Parliament, K20,000-K50,000
Non-government organisations, K5,000-K10,000
Churches, K3,000-K20,000
Individuals, K5-K100
Corporate dinner, K10,000 a table
The coordinator of Catholic Health Services in the Eastern Highlands, Mrs Angela Kaupa, heads this initiative and the Most Reverend Catholic Bishop of Groka Diocese, Bishop Francesco Sarego, is the Patron of the fund raising project.
Support from individuals and organisations can be deposited into: Catholic Diocese of Goroka-Help for cancer. Account number: 6005658963. Westpac Bank Goroka.
For further information contact Catholic Health Services on phone 675 532 1798 or mobile 708 117 32 or email [email protected]
Good subject, and food for thought, Bomai, and Daniel.
I have heard how the late President Ronald Reagan benefited in his cancer treatment from Oxygen therapy.
I was reading an article from Newsmax this morning along the lines of:"Why Aren’t More Doctors Prescribing Oxygen?
Back in 1931, a man named Dr. Otto Warburg won the Nobel
Prize for work proving cancer is caused by a lack of oxygen
in your cells.
In fact, he stated in his book, “The Prime Cause and
prevention of cancer” that…
“The cause of cancer is no longer a mystery, we know it
occurs whenever any cell is denied 60% of its oxygen..."
A bit of googling may yield more info on this theme:eg;
Here is what Dr. Mercola had said:
“Without a doubt the most powerful essential strategy I know of to treat cancer is to starve the cells by depriving them of their food source. Unlike your body cells, which can burn carbs or fat for fuel, cancer cells have lost that metabolic flexibility. Dr. Otto Warburg was actually given a Nobel Prize over 75 years ago for figuring this out but virtually no oncologist actually uses this information.
Cancer is such a vile disease. It certainly begs the question as to why a more effective and simple therapy has not been explored and tested.. or has it?
Posted by: `Robin Lillicrapp | 12 August 2016 at 07:36 AM
Bomai, I have a cancer patient in my house. The doctor who finally diagnosed the condition told me just yesterday it was cancer in the food pipe which had forced this poor man to vomit his food and growing weaker by the day.
This patient had been referred to a hospital by a Health Extension officer in early 2015 after he had been suffering from it.
At the hospital in Wabag he had been given tablets which didn’t help. He kept coming to the Wabag General Hospital at huge expense when his condition did not improve.
Last month, I felt sorry for him since he is a wantok and asked him to stay with us until doctors found out what was causing it.
Finally after ex-rays, the doctor diagnosed it as cancer but advised against an operation because the mortality rate was high.
He suggested chemotherapy and a tube be inserted in his throat for food to travel straight to the stomach. The doctor told me he was recommending this form of treatment so he could live a little longer.
But the tube is not available in Wabag or Mt Hagen General Hospital and he would find out from Dr Jan Jaworsky at Kundiawa General Hospital in Simbu if it is available there.
I know Dr Jan Jaworsky is a Roman Catholic priest. This major fund raising initiative is by the Catholic Church. I went to a Catholic school. I know churches provide better services in terms of health and education in this country.
In this instance, I fall into the individual category and I strongly feel, I must contribute something towards this important cause.
My wantok’s days are numbered but countless others will be saved if the right equipment is made available for early detection and treatment.
Posted by: Daniel Kumbon | 12 August 2016 at 06:39 AM