The National Cancer Society of Malaysia, has been awarded £15,000 for its Home of Hope programme to create a comfortable and homely environment for patients while they undergo cancer treatment at the Hospital of Kuala Lumpur.

The organisation is the country's first not-for-profit cancer charity, providing education, care and support services for patients and their families throughout the various stages of cancer.

In Malaysia, most cancer treatment centers are in the capital city -- Kuala Lumpur. As a result, families are forced to travel far from their home states and spend several days or weeks getting treatment. Due to the high demands, hospital wards are often full, causing patients to go through further stress financially and emotionally.

NCSM established the Adults’ Home of Hope in April 2021 to offer FREE accommodation for underprivileged cancer patients from low-income families living outside of Klang Valley while they undergo cancer treatment at Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
The concept of “Home Away From Home” is to provide the patient and their caregiver with a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere away from the hospital environment, enhancing the patient’s recovery.

The grant will help our Adults’ Home of Hope with one year of operation costs and for us to provide services such as shuttle services, counselling services, and oral nutritional supplements for patients who are undernourished while receiving treatment.

Managing Director, Dr. Murallitharan Munisamy, said: “On behalf of NCSM, we like to express our heartfelt thanks to The Access Foundation. The grant will help our Adults’ Home of Hope with one year of operation costs and for us to provide services such as shuttle services, counselling services, and oral nutritional supplements for patients who are undernourished while receiving treatment. Every patient deserves the best chance to fight cancer. We sincerely thank the Access team for making this happen.”

NCSM also provides free mammogram screening for underprivileged Malaysian women aged above 40 throughout Peninsular Malaysia to raise awareness on the importance of early detection in improving breast cancer survival rates amongst underprivileged women.