The Naef K. Basile Cancer Institute (NKBCI) at AUBMC has received a generous donation of 126,000,000 LBP from the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation (LBCF) in a ceremony held at AUBMC on January 29, 2016. The donation is earmarked to cover treatment expenses of breast cancer patients treated at AUBMC’s NKBCI Breast Cancer Center. The ceremony was attended by members of AUBMC and LBCF leadership including Deputy VP/Dean Dr. Ziyad Ghazzal, Chief of Staff and Director of the NKBCI and Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL), Dr. Hassan El Solh, Director of the Breast Cancer Center of Excellence at NKBCI and President of the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation Dr. Nagi El Saghir, Chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology, Dr. Fady Geara. The Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation was represented by Mrs. Mirna Hoballah, Mrs. Fatmeh Baydoun, Mrs. Rania Alameddine, Mrs. Lina Hosari, Mrs. Rana Sabbah. Naef K. Basile Center was represented also by Chemotherapy Unit Nursing Manager, Zeina Koussa and Oncology Nurses Rebecca El Asmar and Latifa Shihab and Administrator Mira Wehbe. Without the dedication of the LBCF volunteers and the generosity of donors, patients at the NKBCI would not have been able to afford the treatment they needed. During the past year, a total of LBP 230 million was already disbursed to help patients from all over Lebanon and the region pay for their treatment, radiation, surgery and follow-up tests. Sixty percent of these patients were young mothers who were below the age of 50, and more than half of them lived with less than LBP 750,000 per month. Thanks to the LBCF and AUBMC Naef K. Basile Breast Center of Excellence, many of them are now cured.
Dr. Saghir said, “At NKBCI, we are committed to providing total care which includes proper diagnosis, up-to-date medical and surgical and nursing treatment, psychological support, as well as financial support”. Aligned with AUBMC 2020 Vision, NKBCI has been equipped with the latest state-of-the-art facilities to treat cancer. Weekly support groups are also organized to provide patients with psychological support. “We also pursue community outreach for raising health awareness campaigns all throughout Lebanon,” added Dr. Saghir.
Representing Raja N. Khuri Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medicine and Global Strategy Dr. Mohamed H. Sayegh, Dr. Ghazzal thanked Dr. Saghir and the foundation for its contribution and said that AUBMC cannot propel its vision and mission without such fundraisings.
LBCF and NKBCI Breast Cancer Center are dedicated for prevention and early detection of cancer, and particularly breast cancer, in addition to providing total care to patients. On behalf of AUBMC, Dr. Solh thanked the Lebanese Breast Cancer Foundation for the donation and praised its partnership with AUBMC Naef K. Basile Breast Center of Excellence, acknowledging the work of all parties to improve the lives of patients with breast cancer. “AUBMC 2020 Vision aims to reach all population, not only those who can afford treatment at AUBMC. We aim to treat and deliver the excellent care for patients of all walks of life. Everyone should have the access for good healthcare service regardless their financial status. Thank you Dr. Saghir; thank you ladies of LBCF for this great achievement,” he said.
