Hospice Bulletin Aprilfinal

Hospice Bulletin

PP13040/03/2009(022048)-Vol.13 No 2 - Apr 2009 Newsletter of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch

CARING is CARING My attention was drawn to a report in a local newspaper a few weeks ago that medical staff including doctors and nurses were not caring enough. This finding arose in a recent evaluation of staff performance at all government hospitals and health clinics. It also showed that waiting time to see doctors or to have surgeries had improved which is good news for the public. Medicine is one of the caring professions. In fact care is the foundation of medical practice. The Minister of Health is quoted - “It’s not that our staff do not care. It’s just that they do not care enough. Care, affection and a smile can have a healing effect on patients”. So the Ministry has relaunched its corporate culture campaign – which emphasizes a caring attitude, professionalism and teamwork. Staff will now wear a badge with a logo of a hand on the heart along with the words “KAMI SEDIA MEMBANTU”.

Throughout the ages the importance of caring for others has been recognized for social cohesion and solidarity. It is of course a quality essential for anyone entering the caring profession. Can care be taught? The prime teacher is example. So it falls on parents first. Caring parents will usually have caring children. It should be reinforced in schools and maintained in society by supportive structures and facilities. Underlying will be the approach or belief that the human race is one and we will all benefit by helping one another. One way is encouraging children and even adults to care for animals. If a caring attitude is well established before one embarks to become a nurse or a doctor then it is likely to remain in the profession. However, much depends on the environment at work , for instance, colleagues can influence us positively or negatively. The environment must also be supportive. Together the quality of caring can be of a high level. Its appreciation by the patients or the authorities will in turn be reinforcement.

This is indeed splendid news as some common perceptions of services at government facilities were addressed in this evaluation for long waits for attention, investigations for treatment and lack of care. So what is caring? Care is a presence or absence of life that we can easily recognize. In the evolution of life caring becomes a part of survival of the species. Where would we be if not for our parents, especially our mothers? Care begins with the pregnancy as the focus is to have a healthy baby. So is caring an instinct? For the young, yes. Its expressions may come on strongly in some of us. As children age into adults the necessity to care is less needed.

1

Central to hospice or palliative care is caring. Most of the patients who are admitted into our programme do have advanced diseases. Good care will comfort the patient and help to allay the distress of his or her loved ones. This is the least we can give to our fellow human beings as they approach their last milestone in life. The motto “WE ARE READY TO HELP” echoes the underlying philosophy of our chosen service – that there is always something that can be done to decrease suffering. Ideally this should be seen to be available from diagnosis of any major illness. Such an eventuality will transform all medical care. All providing palliative care should be its strongest advocates. We must not avoid this challenge if we are to be true to our calling to reduce suffering. Dr Eric Cassel whose special interest is in suffering, said: “suffering is suffering is suffering” and all health professionals have to address suffering not only at the end of life but more importantly from the time suffering ensues, which usually is from diagnosis. This approach will help remove the common global perception that palliative care is for the dying. To reiterate – it is for all who suffer from a major illness irrespective of the stage of the disease. As most patients with a major disease are not dying imagine the vast amount of suffering that is currently not addressed. The ball is at our feet!

03

CONTENTS HAPPENINGS • • • • • •

Carers’ Meetings - Penang Island Palliative Care 2009 - Perth Australia 14th Counseling Course Palliative Care Case Presentation Free Mammograms Staff Matters

04 - 05 Happenings - At Rumah Hospis Pulau Pinang 06 - 08 Relay For Life 09 - 10 A Survivor’s Story 11 • Story From The Bedside • Our Experience With Hospice

HOSPICE BULLETIN is the quarterly newsletter of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch. We welcome your contribution to the bulletin. Please submit at least six weeks before issue date which are the first day of January, April, July and October 2009. All items submitted for inclusion in the Hospice Bulletin must be signed but author’s requests to remain anonymous will be respected. Contributions can be sent to: The Editorial Team, Rumah Hospis Pulau Pinang, 250A Jalan Air Itam, 10460 Pulau Pinang. Tel: 04-228 4140 Fax: 04-2264676 THE EDITORIAL TEAM Dato’ Seri Dr T Devaraj, Dr Oo Khaik Cheang, Mdm Mui Siew Koon, Ms Ho Yet Min PUBLICATION ASSISTANTS Ms Chitra Alagan The views expressed in HOSPICE BULLETIN are not necessarily those of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch or of the Editorial team. www.penanghospice.org.my www.relayforlife.org.my

2

Carers’ Meeting - Penang Island Carers’ Meetings will be held every 1st and 3rd Saturdays unless otherwise indicated (*) by the organizer. Venue Day Time 2009 April May

: : :

Rumah Hospis Pulau Pinang 1st and 3rd Saturdays 11.30am to 12.30pm

4 18 2 16

Case Studies Long Term Inpatients Case Studies Managing common co-morbid

June 6 20 July 4 18 Aug 1 15 Sept 5 19

conditions Case Studies Continuous professional development Case Studies After Hours Calls Case Studies Role Play – Exploring Difficult issues Case Studies Discussion - Lung cancer

14TH COUNSELLING COURSE For the first time this course will be held at Rumah Hospis Pulau Pinang, 250A Jalan Air Itam, 10460 Penang. It will begin on Sunday 14 June 2009 and end with an examination on Sunday 6 September 2009. For applications or further information, please log on to http://ncsmpg.blogspot.com/ or call Devi/Liza at 04-228 4140 or e-mail ncsmpg@gmailcom. 19TH PALLIATIVE CARE CASE PRESENTATION The last Palliative Care Case Presentation held at the Palliative Care Unit of Hospital Bukit Mertajam was well attended by various hospice groups in Penang. Hospital Pulau Pinang is hosting the 19th Palliative Care Case Presentation at the 4th Floor Meeting Room, at 2.30pm, Thursday 23 April 2009. All those interested in palliative care are invited to attend this meeting. For more information, please call 04-228 4140.

Palliative Care Nurse Wong Soo Yeng addressing the crowd at the Palliative Unit of Hospital Bukit Mertajam.

Participants listening attentively

TOGETHER 2009! PERTH Combining the 10th Australian Palliative Care Conference and the 8th Asia-Pacific Hospice Conference.

FREE MAMMOGRAMS All the 200 free mammograms were taken up. Only one case of breast cancer was picked up. Our thanks to the Penang Rotary Club for helping us to provide this free service.

STAFF MATTERS We are glad to welcome Dr Lalitha Jeyasingam to our service as Palliative Care Physician and also to say farewell to Dr Anthony Balavendrian who is leaving. REGISTRATION FEES FULL REGISTRATION Medical Nurse/Allied Student - full time/Carers/ Volunteers

Early bird closes 27 March 2009 AUD790 AUD660 AUD310

Standard closes 23 August 2009 AUD990 AUD825 AUD385

Please log on to http://www.conlog.com.au/palliativecare2009/ for further details.

Later after 23 August 2009 AUD1185 AUD990 AUD460

3

HAPPENINGS AT RUMAH HOSPIS PULAU PINANG The Interact Club members of St George’s Girls’ School joined us at the hospice in batches over three days and took part in various activities with gusto which was so contagious that the patients were also infected by their enthusiasm! Some students played board games with them whilst others engaged in art work and chatting. The female patients had hand massages and manicures! Some students helped to clean and reorganize the equipment room which was a great help to us indeed. Thank you Interactors!

4

A local band ‘ Desire’ very kindly consented to come and entertain our patients on the 22 February . The band members (Gerard Amirnath, Fabian Xavier, Stanley Xavier and Joseph Pragasam) sang and played for almost an hour and it was great to see the smiles on the patients faces as some of them hummed along. Music is a complementary therapy that is increasingly being used in palliative care and in hospices all over the world. It is our fervent desire that ‘Desire‘ will continue to make music at the Penang Hospice on a regular basis …!

Making memories is something special that all of us should do at every opportunity we get. It helps us to remember and treasure the special moments and good times we shared with those we love. Colourful ‘memory boxes’ are being given out to those patients who wish to write special messages or letters to their loved ones. We are looking for a volunteer who enjoys art and craft work; who would be willing to assist our patients on a regular basis and help them to create ‘little works of art’ that they can give to their friends and families. Often, patients feel ‘useless’ and a burden to their families. This would be a wonderful way for them to give, instead of always being on the receiving end. Please contact Dr. Lalitha Jeyasingam (e-mail: [email protected]) or at 04-228 4140 ext. 106 should you want to volunteer your services.

MrWePishu Sadhu Vaswani Penang generously donated thankofour donors five hundred ringgit worth of much needed drugs. Thank you very much! We do hope others will come forward to help us in this area as we need antibiotics and other medicines frequently.

We thank the staff and management of BRIGHT RANK SDN BHD for generously donating food items and disposables for patients of Rumah Hospis Pulau Pinang.

5

RELAY FOR LIFE by James Lochhead

The fifth Relay for Life - Fighting Cancer Together culminated in another wonderfully successful event in Penang’s Taman Perbandaran (Youth Park) on Saturday, 14 March and Sunday, 15 March. Some 3,000 people gathered on the Saturday afternoon, ready to celebrate our on-going fight against cancer. They came to the field where there was a beautiful track laid out, together with signs proclaiming the key messages of our campaign: “Early Detection and Proper Treatment Save Lives”; “Celebrating Survivorship”; “Practise a Healthy Lifestyle”; and “Go for Regular Check-ups”. Next to these was the “Thank You To All Our Sponsors”. Around the track, at the edge of the field, were the tents, festooned with colours and balloons. There was the registration tent, the volunteers’ tent, the survivors’ tent, the tent for games and other activities, the luminaria tent, the exhibition tent, the St Johns Ambulance Tent, the health screening tent and of course the food tent. Team contingents also had put up their own tents: Dell Asia Pacific Sdn, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Penang Adventist Hospital, Loh Guan Lye Specialist Centre, Merck, St Xavier’s and Uplands were just some of those with their own canvas covering. It was a fabulous scene. And of course everyone was in their purple Relay t-shirts. Early comers were entertained to the sweet music of Sweet Memories. The Pejabat Kesihatan Timur Laut were on hand to provide free breast and blood pressure checks. And the games team got the games going in full swing. The very popular food tent was already full by the time 5.45pm came around, serving as it did an extensive range of food and drinks very competitively priced.

Dr Lalitha

6

This was the scene that greeted Penang’s Chief Minister YAB Lim Guan Eng, on his arrival to officially open the Relay. Accompanied by YB Phee Boon Poh, State Executive Councillor in charge of Health, Welfare, The Caring Society and Environment, Guan Eng told the crowd of the state government’s commitment to the fight against cancer, and the importance of community-based events like Relay. After presenting a special memento to a representative of over 80 cancer survivors who were supporting the event, Guan Eng flagged off the Relay to a massive cheer.

The first lap was as usual walked by the survivors and their families and carers. It is always inspiring to see so many people walking together, sharing in their personal battle against cancer. It carries the messages of hope to so many of us: that cancer is not necessarily a death sentence; that thousands of Penangites have survived cancer; that if we have cancer, we are not alone. There is support, if we want it. Then everyone flooded on to the track. Team banners were carried with pride; and the mass of people, of all ages but with a strong representation of students and teenagers, shouted and sang their way round the track, embarked on a 16-hour overnight Relay which symbolises our ongoing fight against cancer. Our leading sponsor for the second year, Dell Asia Pacific Sdn, were well represented. Wawasan Open University, again supporting relay with a generous sponsorship of t-shirts, were there. And there was an amazing team from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), who had come all the way from Sintok, Kedah to participate. They had raised some RM10,000 for Relay and it was fantastic to see their commitment, spirit and effort. Other exuberant teams included St Xavier’s Institution, Penang Adventist Hospital, Lam Wah Ee Hospital (who always have a wonderful team), Disted College, Penang Chinese Girls’ High School, Institut Pendidikan Guru Pulau Pinang, KDU College of Nursing, Loh Guan Lye Specialist Centre, Uplands International School, St Georges’, Kolej Kejururawatan Pulau Pinang, Soka Gakkai Malaysia, Dalat International School, Chung Ling High School and Methodist Boys’ School.

Meanwhile, the entertainment was well underway. Cheerleaders from St George’s Girls’ School Penang, dance routines by Celebrity Fitness School Penang, dance routines by Celebrity Fitness and the Golden Girls that included cancer survivors took us through to 8.00pm, when the mood changed. This is the time of our luminaria ceremony, a special 30 minutes which allows anyone to remember and honour someone they know who has struggled with cancer. Hundreds of luminaria bags, many with fabulous hand-painted or hand-drawn decorations and messages, were placed around the track, an inspiring sight. A special poem was read and a period of quiet marked our respect. Then the Relay continued again. Teams walked throughout the night, taking it in turns to go round the track, to get some food, watch some of the wonderful live stage entertainment, or share stories with friends old and new. Throughout the night, spot prizes were competed for: limbo rock, clearing rubbish from the Relay track, moonwalking, first one to bring a red headscarf, etc. As dawn broke, the few hundred who had persevered were rewarded with the smells of breakfast, and were later invited to join in a tug of war, watch a yoga demonstration, and then participate in a very lively and popular aerobics session with Jeorge Subramanaiam.

7

All too soon, the last laps were being walked. YB Phee Boon Poh had joined us again, and, together with Relay’s Organising Chairman, Dato’ Seri Dr T Devaraj, officiated our closing ceremony. This was kick started by an Ikhlas dance from Temple of Fine Arts, and we then witnessed the various awards given for special contributions to Relay. This included a Dell Inspiron laptop (part of Dell’s fantastic sponsorship), given to the person 23 or under won by Mr Koh Kok Kyan who had raised the highest collection of RM2380, via donation card for this year’s Relay. Other awards given at the ceremony were for best team collection which went to “Team Kat” led by Ms Doreen Tan. They managed to raise RM10,000. Team contingents who did 16 hours on the track non-stop included University Utara Malaysia, St Xavier’s Institution, Uplands School, Penang Chinese Girls’ High School, etc. A group of friends who called themselves the Waterfall Weekend Wanderers RAN the relay in turns for 16 hours. The best decorated tent went to St Xavier’s Institution who made admirable effort to involve many students in the effort to fight cancer.

8

Thank you to all who participated! You are the people who make relay the wonderful event it is. See you next year.

The last words were from Dato’ Seri Dr T Devaraj. “Take the messages of Relay into every corner, to all your families, friends and colleagues,” he urged. “And see you next year!” So despite the present depressing economic conditions, which has made fund-raising this year very difficult, Relay For Life continues to prosper. It was great to have so many younger participants, and also great to have our key sponsors back again. Dell Asia Pacific Sdn, Wawasan Open University and University Utara Malaysia were this year’s leading sponsors, with Dell leading the way for the second year running. We had 270 teams registered and 200 individuals. And once all the money is counted, we hope to have raised over RM280,000.00.

A SURVIVOR’S STORY

NO SWAN SONG FOR SONG by Dr Yim-Poh Yin

When challenged with mortality, there are difficult questions which beg to be answered. What can I do to live longer? What did I do wrong? Why me? Will my family be alright? Have I achieved my dreams? Have I seized every moment? What do I do with my remaining time? At the age of 64, Song Jin Tek in Penang found himself facing these tough questions when he was told he had cancer. Song decided to do whatever he could to fight for more years to his life. Even though he had already brought up his family of three and his heaviest responsibilities were over, his love and passion for life was still going strong.

Taken by Song in 2008: Fish roe draped on a tree branch under siege by an army of red ants. The ants hanging on and working together remind us of the continuous support and teamwork needed in the ongoing battle against cancer.

Being a commercial photographer by profession, Song captures moments for a living. He keeps watch for hours, hoping to capture the mother bird returning with the day’s catch to feed its eagerly awaiting young. He waits to catch the correct combination of light and shadow during the day and creates scenes for photographs which he first sees in his mind’s eye. (Photograph below) In a way, working as a photographer has helped him deal with cancer by making well-timed decisions. Song is nothing if not a pragmatist. To him, nothing is irresolvable. Song noticed his voice changing toward the end of 2002. Treated initially for an infection in the throat, his symptoms worsened. His family physician recommended a consultation with a specialist in ear, nose and throat (ENT). Eventually Song was found to have a growth high up in his throat. Song had to wait 10 days for the results of the tissue (biopsy) taken from the growth to know the exact diagnosis. They were the longest 10 days in his life. While waiting for

the biopsy results, the growth in Song’s throat grew rapidly and eating was getting difficult. Wrought by worry that he was going to die a hungry man, Song did what many others in our society do when desperate for an answer. He consulted a Chinese sinseh. The sinseh could not tell him what was wrong with him but instructed him that he had to stay off all kinds of food His weight started dropping rapidly due to a combination of his cancer and food taboos he was observing. By the time he went back for his biopsy result, his ENT doctor was shocked to see how big the growth had become. The doctor broke the news to Song that he had cancer of the throat (nasopharyngeal carcinoma). Distraught upon hearing this, he immediately questioned the unfairness of it all. Why him? He had lived life as a good person and fulfilled his roles as best he could. What had he done wrong? Song was still reeling in shock when his doctor launched into treatment plans. Realising the urgency of his situation, he forced his thoughts back to the present and listened to how his doctor planned to remove the cancerous growth. Growing high up in throat behind his nose, his doctor explained that access to remove the cancer would be difficult. He gave vivid details of how he would split open Song’s lower jaw bone. A weaker person would have baulked and bolted. Song knew this was no time to be squeamish. He signed up for the surgery before he walked out of the doctor’s room. Such stoicism, control and decisiveness are incredible. Looking back, Song relates his decisiveness to his profession. After all, in photography, one must be quick to capture details or the moment is gone. When he went home and broke the news to his family, they were expectedly shocked but also upset that he had made the decision for such radical surgery on his own. This is perhaps an unsurprising reaction in our society which has a tendency to view important health decisions as those belonging to the family. His second daughter insisted that a second medical opinion be sought and promptly took Song to another ENT doctor. By now, Song had problems opening his mouth without evoking a negative response from people around him. The cancerous growth was breaking down and the smell was intolerable. The second ENT doctor proposed to first shrink the growth through a series of chemotherapy injections. Given an alternative to radical surgery, Song and his family opted for this second option. Within days of the injections, the growth ‘melted away like ice-cream’. Both he and the ENT doctor were overjoyed at his response. Song was elated to know that he would no longer need an operation. In his own words, “Even better than striking lottery!” He continued the injections for about 6 months before he was pronounced disease-free. Don’t get him wrong – it was not smooth going all the way. He suffered unbearable chills after the injections and later on in the treatment, the doctors had trouble finding suitable veins in his arms to give the injections. His sense of smell altered - he found fish revolting. He wilted away because of food taboos. Finally he came to his senses that starving his body of nutritious foods was no way to fight cancer. If anything, his weakened body would make him succumb to cancer. Thus, he made a decision to forego the food taboos. Laksa had never tasted better. Now he truly understood the Chinese saying that “to be able to

9

eat is luck”. He had to keep his outside food forays a secret from his wife as she insisted that the food taboos be strictly adhered to. He would eat outside secretly, but ensured that he still “kept some space in my stomach to eat the food she cooked for me,” he confided with a twinkle in his eyes. Such was his appreciation for his wife and respect for her health beliefs. He believes that his relinquishing of food taboos was one of the things which helped save his life. Song gained 5 kilograms despite undergoing chemotherapy injections and started to regain his strength. The doctor was so astounded; he thought they had mixed up Song’s records with that of another patient!

A SURVIVOR’S STORY

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, throughout the cancer treatment when he felt too weak for any physical activity, he taught himself digital photography - his newfound passion. Two years after completing treatment, he was ascending Mount Kinabalu with fellow shutterbugs to capture more breathtaking photos. How does battling cancer change a person? Song believes that it makes you stronger. It forces you to re-evaluate your life and prioritise. It makes you see things in perspective. It makes everything unimportant and important at the same time. It weeds out the real friends from fair-weathered ones. It galvanizes families and strengthens ties. Despite having had cancer, he considers himself one lucky man. Lucky because he has a second chance at life. Lucky because he can watch his grandchildren grow. Talking to this inspiring man, one cannot help but believe that luck is only part of the equation. His positive outlook served him well. Song faced adversity with optimism, mental strength, creativity, willingness to change and retained a sense of humour. The social support from his family and friends provided a safety net to face the challenges. Song believes that a supportive family is critical. A strong-willed daughter who would not allow her father anything less is definitely another. Everyday is now a blessing. How does he do his bit to help others who are not so fortunate? Every year he makes it a point to take part in Relay for Life, an awareness and fund-raising event organised by the Penang Branch of the National Cancer Society of Malaysia. He walks with other cancer survivors for a good cause. Song, with his faithful camera slung around him has become a regular feature in Relay for Life. This year, Relay for Life took place at the Penang Youth Park from the 14 to 15 March. During this event, teams of people took turns to ‘relay’ by walking throughout the night. The event took on a carnival-like atmosphere with many people even pitching tents with family and friends. Relay for Life represents the ongoing battle against cancer where family and other social support are needed. More information on Relay for Life is available at www.relayforlife.org.my

10

What was the most important thing that helped him survive cancer? “Seeking treatment early and getting appropriate treatment is critical.” He believes western medicine is the answer for cancer treatment because it is sophisticated and proven compared with traditional medicine. And so Song lives to tell his story. Looks like this Song is not quite ready for his swan song just yet. Song Jin Tek was born in Penang in 1938. Before working as a professional

Vignette of Song Jin Tek “I did not learn photography from anyone in particular. Everyone was my teacher. I am naturally curious.” Song Jin Tek commercial photographer, Song worked briefly as a waiter and from aged 18 - 21, joined the police field force battling communist insurgency in Hulu Langat, Selangor. He was dismissed from the police field force together with 10 others for “indiscipline” – they decided to take matters into their own hands when one of their comrades were beaten up by some villagers. He found a passion for photography and in the 1980s opened his own photography studio specializing in commercial photography. In the 1980s he was one of, if not the first commercial photographer based in Penang. With 30 years experience as a photographer and numerous international awards under his belt, he still pursues the next shot with great excitement and anticipation. He is a guiding light to photography enthusiasts. Having no less than 1000 acceptances in international photography competitions he is described as an avid all round photographer, Song started as an amateur and graduated to status of successful advertising and commercial photographer. Well-versed in photographic and dark room techniques, Song was

ranked 10th in 1984 in the colour slide division of the Photography Society of America and 9th position in 1990 in the overseas photographer division. Between 1984 and 1990 he was ranked seven times by the Photography Society of America.

STORY FROM THE BEDSIDE

Priveetha Priveetha and and grandmother herher grandmother My grandmother’s name is Mathavi. She was 79 years old. She had been sick for 17 years and bed-ridden for 6 years 5 months. She used a tube to eat and drink. She could not swallow so she took Jevity a type of nutritious milk specially for people like her. She was not able to talk and walk. She stayed in her room on a bed that can be wound up or down most of the time. At 5.00pm in the evening, my grandfather and uncle would carry her out to the living room and sit her on the sofa. Then they would feed her. On 12 December 2008, my very precious grandmother passed away at 3.10pm. I came back from tuition at 3.30pm and saw my precious grandmother on the bed. I cried the whole evening. She had suffered a lot and could not take it further. I still miss my grandmother.

OUR EXPERIENCE WITH HOSPICE

We met Dato’ Seri Dr T Devarajo and discussed the objectives of our training. We were then allowed to follow the Palliative Care Nurses on their home visits to patients admitted in the hospice at Home Programme. The nurses taught us a lot. On our way to patients’ homes, the nurses shared information about the patients we were visiting, their condition and their social support needs in order for us to understand and communicate with the patients more effectively. Through the few home visit experiences, we realized that social support is also important for cancer patients. It is because there are positive relationships between the social support and spirit of patients to fight cancer. After few home visits, Nurse Krishna allowed us to have a counseling session with one of her patients. We completed the session with help and advice from Krishna. We were glad that we were able to apply our counseling skills in real life setting. Besides visiting patients in their homes, we were also actively involved with organizing the “Relay For Life” event in March. Our duties included helping to put together cancer awareness materials and distribution of t-shirts for Relay participants and helping out at the Cancer/Relay talks given at various organizations. In addition to these we also helped to update the participants’ database, recording all information such as their names, organizations, t-shirt sizes, registration fees and donations collected. We were also part of the Entertainment Committee of Relay and were put in charge of games, music, activities and the variety show. We helped to make sure that everything ran properly as planned. Even though it was a tiring job, we enjoyed every moment during “Relay For Life”. It is a meaningful event and we are happy that we were able to contribute towards its success. We gained a lot of knowledge during this period. Besides that, the hospice staff and volunteers treated us well and were willing to teach us and advise us.

by Law Chuet Lean and Kho Kok Kyan

We are trainees from University Tunku Abdul Rahman. We have been attached to Rumah Hospis since 5 January 2009. We really thank Dato Seri Dr T Devaraj, the CEO/Medical Director of Rumah Hospis Pulau Pinang for giving us the opportunity to do our attachment there. The reason we chose Rumah Hospis as place of training is because we hope to be able to provide social support to cancer patients. Besides that, we are able to learn how to apply our counseling skills in real life setting. Chitra was the first one who explained the background and services provided by the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch. Chitra also introduced to us “Relay For Life”, an annual cancer awareness campaign run by the Society.

Law Chuet Lean manning an exhibition booth at Sentral College

11 11 Kho Kok Kyan at relay

If undelivered, please return to: HOSPICE BULLETIN, Rumah Hospis Pulau Pinang, 250A Jalan Air Itam, 10460 Penang, Malaysia

WISH LIST

WAYS YOU CAN HELP US... DONATE CASH We welcome all levels of donation, whether it’s a onetime gift or a monthly donation. For more information, call 04-228 4140. Tax exempt receipt will be issued for donations of RM50 and above. Please make cheques payable to: National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch DONATIONS IN KIND • Storage cabins (to store medical equipment) • Sundries & domestic items • Wheel chairs with head and neck support • Oxygen concentrator • Syringe drivers • Sheepskin rugs • Ripple mattresses • DVD player (for cancer exhibitions) • Lawn mower ADMINISTRATIVE ITEMS • Mobile phones (for nurses providing care for patients at home) • Computers • Printers VOLUNTEERING Volunteer your time and talent. Volunteering is a great way to help. We invite you to share your time, talents and resources to help us at Cancer Awareness campaigns and Fundraising events.

[ ] Remove from mailing list (please tick where appropriate)

BAYARAN POS JELAS POSTAGE PAID PEJABAT POS BESAR PULAU PINANG MALAYSIA NO. LESEN 041

Fax:

[ ] Change of address

Name:

Postcode:

Tel:

Address (new):

Please send/fax this to: Rumah Hospis Pulau Pinang, 250A Jalan Air Itam, 10460 Penang, Malaysia Tel: 604-228 4140 Fax: 604-226 4676 Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

published by | NATIONAL CANCER SOCIETY OF MALAYSIA, PENANG BRANCH designed sponsored by | INTACT COMMUNICATIONS 133 Hutton Lane, 10050 Penang printed by | PRACTICAL PRINTERS SDN BHD 70 & 72, Jalan Perusahaan Jelutong Satu, 11600 Penang