MDH Cancer
Support Group – A Proposal
Reynaldo O.
Joson, MD
2001
Situational Analysis
The
Tumor Board under the leadership of Dr. Elsie Dancel has started to form a
cancer support group in MDH in 2001.
It
also has plan to hold a Christmas Party for patients with cancer.
Dr.
Joson has a Cancer Crusaders Club which he formed in 1988. Every year since 1988, the Cancer Crusaders
Club has been holding an Annual Get-Together cum Christmas Party every first
Sunday of December in Manila Doctors Hospital conference hall (Tangco Hall
since it was constructed in 1991).
The
Cancer Crusaders Club is Dr. Joson’s way of providing psychosocial therapy to
cancer patients. Although majority of
the attendees are patients of Dr. Joson, any cancer patient who expresses
desire to attend are welcome.
Attendance is free of charge.
The use of Tangco Hall is also free of charge. The expenses usually consists of mails, decorative materials for
the conference hall, and lunch. These
have been shouldered by Dr. Joson since 1988.
The
Annual Get-Together and Christmas Party of the Cancer Crusaders Club has been
going on without fail since 1988. This
year, in October, 2001, Dr. Joson decided to terminate the yearly get-together
since he wanted to donate PhP 10,000 (his usual expense in the get-together
party) to the breast cancer surgical mission in Ospital ng Maynila Medical
Center. However, when the members of
the Cancer Crusaders Club heard of Dr. Joson’s plan, they prevailed upon him to
push through with the 14th Get-Together on December 1, 2001
volunteering to help shoulder the expense.
A Cancer Crusader in the person of
Ms. Joy de Castro, who is a professional event organizer, has offered to make
the 14th Annual Get-Together
“very special” and “professionally organized”. Ms. Nanette Inventor has accepted to facilitate and emcee the 14th
Get-Together of the Cancer Crusaders Club for free.
During this time too, Dr. Dancel has asked Dr. Joson’s advice on
the proposed Christmas Party of the MDH cancer support group. Dr. Dancel has also expressed concerns in
getting a good attendance.
In a meeting among Dr. Dancel, Dr.
Joson, and Ms. Joy de Castro on October 25, 2001, it was agreed that:
1.
The
Cancer Crusaders Club Annual Get-Together will push through on December 2, 2002
in MDH Tangco Hall.
2.
All
oncologists (surgical, medical, orthopedic, gynecologic, etc) of MDH,
especially those in the Tumor Board, will be encouraged to participate by
inviting their cancer patients to attend the get-together.
3.
Pending
approval by the Tumor Board and MDH Top Management, the Crusaders Cancer Club
will eventually be the MDH cancer support group. It will be renamed as MDH Cancer Crusaders Club.
4.
Dr.
Dancel as the Tumor Board Chairperson will request the Administration to
shoulder all the expenses of the get-together, particularly, the lunch for 100
persons.
The MDH Cancer Support Group and the Proposed MDH
Cancer Program
Heretofore,
there has been NO structured cancer program in MDH. The program just consists of having cancer specialists in the
hospital and a Tumor Board. The latter
was established merely as a response to the requirement of Department of
Health.
There is a need to formulate an MDH
Cancer Program especially in view of the need to project the new MDH as well as
the present MDH as a cancer center.
Attached is a proposed MDH Cancer
Program based on a MDH Business Plan formulated by the Executive Board of the
Quality Council as part of the ISO preparation.
In the proposed MDH Cancer Program,
it is recommended that MDH establishes an MDH Cancer Support Group that will be
known (to the public) as MDH primary social responsibility project in the field
of cancer.
There is a recommendation to adopt
Dr. Joson’s Cancer Crusader Club as MDH cancer support group. This is for deliberation and approval by
MDH Top Management.