Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Chronicle Writer
A Bulawayo-based organisation which raises awareness on various cancers has donated 600 packets of sanitary pads and cotton wool to cervical cancer patients at Mpilo Central Hospital (Mpilo).
Dr Tatenda Chingonzoh, chairperson of the Leading Initiatives Fighting Cancer Together (LIFT) Trust and head of Mpilo’s radiotherapy centre said cancer treatment is very expensive thus members of her organisation used own resources to buy the pads for use by women who seek treatment at the facility.
In addition, LIFT conducted a pad drive through which it sought and collected donations through some schools, pharmacies and other businesses in the city.
“One of the commonest symptoms of cervical cancer, which is cancer of the mouth of the uterus, is bleeding and a foul-smelling discharge, so what we noticed in the Government sector is that many of these women would come, they have many costs like to buy the drugs that are needed for treatment, antibiotics, the tests needed to stage the cancer, the X-rays, ultrasound scan and blood tests so it becomes, I think, even to the family and so forth, of less importance to be able to make sure that whilst the woman is doing all this, that she has adequate sanitary wear and you see this bleeding or this discharge is not just occurring for a few days in the month,” said Dr Chingonzoh, who is also a consultant oncologist.
“It’s something that can be happening continuously, so we realised that many of these women would not be able to afford sanitary wear so LIFT gave towards the purchase of pads and they managed to purchase 600 packets of pads, maternity pads and ordinary pads as well as cotton wool to support these cervical cancer patients.”
LIFT mobilised the pads as part of its activities during this year’s Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month, which falls in September yearly. It handed over the donation on December 5.
“This donation was made at Mpilo Central Hospital’s radiotherapy centre and the aim is that every time a woman with cervical cancer comes through, she is given a packet of pads so that even though a packet of pads is just a dollar this time she doesn’t have to worry, on top of her bills, about buying these pads,” she said.
She urged the public to assist cervical cancer patients.
“Nobody chooses to have cancer, so it can happen to anybody, anyone’s mother, anyone’s sister, anyone’s child, daughter can be affected by cancer. Whatever we give can impact, be it for this campaign was pads so a dollar would actually help a woman with pads but there is a lot more that can be done to support these women.”
LIFT hopes to mobilise more support for cervical cancer patients by providing them with regular food hampers and supportive medication.
The public can also assist by paying private laboratories so patients can undergo relevant tests at subsidised cost.
“We hope to do more, not only for cervical cancer,” said Dr Chingonzoh.
“Each month of the year has a cancer that is dedicated to it, so we hope for 2025, every month we can do something for whichever cancer is covered that month and we hope also, we are not just focusing on the women, it’s just this particular pad drive was for gynaecological cancers, but we hope to do more for all cancers, cancers in men, cancers in women, cancers in children however much we can.”
