Nepal Cancer Relif Society in Nepal

What we do and how

Nepal cancer relief society is playing a leading role in both preventive and curative programs against cancer. Besides the cancer prevention and tobacco control projects supported by international and national donor organizations, NCRS every year conducts its own cancer control programs nationwide. NRCS has its branches in 40 districts of Nepal. One of its major activities includes Mobile Cancer Screening Programs that are conducted throughout the year in the remote outskirts of Nepal, where both cancer screening and health education are undertaken. NCRS also provides scholarships for health practitioners (doctors/nurses) for higher studies. Apart from this, NCRS also conducts various other preventive & curative programs. NCRS is contributing nation by providing better cancer treatment facilities in country.

Preventive Program

NCRS conducts preventive programs for Cancer in mainly 3 ways, working with Educational Institutions, Community & with Professional Organization. NCRS organizes workshops, seminars, symposia to educate Nepalese public on various aspects of cancers, reorient the health workers in the various issues of cancer, educate people against the use of carcinogens and methods of detecting it at its signs of cancer, advice patients to visit proper centers for treatment at slightest doubt of having cancer.

1. Working With Education Institution.

Cancer Education Program (for prevention and early detection)

Creating awareness about cancer, its early symptoms and screening for early detection are the major preventive activities of NCRS. As awareness about the cancer and its early symptoms is major way from preventing cancer. Under this program NCRS conduct cancer awareness programs including classes in varieties of sectors like educational institutions, community organizations, women groups, rehabilitation centers and many other sectors of rural and urban regions of the country through its 40 district branches. NCRS provide awareness raising materials (Brochures of all cancer, breast self examination leaflets, oral cancer examination leaflets, tobacco related brochures etc). NCRS also shows cancer awareness documentary. Directly it approaches to different educational institutions, women groups, rehabilitation centers and local community. Indirectly NCRS collaborates with several professional and nongovernmental organizations to conduct cancer education program including tobacco control. Various researches in tobacco sector have also been conducted by NCRS.
Cancer screening for early detection is another preventive activity of NCRS.

2. Community Based Programs.

Tobacco Control Program

Creating awareness about tobacco products is another preventive activity of NCRS. "Tobacco products is the major cause of all cancers", with this fact NCRS has been conducting several activities.
Achievements of Organization in “Advocacy for Tobacco Control”
Advocacy and awareness for tobacco control is one of the major preventive activities of NCRS because it has been proved that tobacco is one of the major causes of all cancers. The person who takes tobacco can be suffered from breast cancer, cervical cancer, oral cancer, blood cancer, lung cancer and many other types of cancer.  Here are some activities of the organization in the sector of tobacco control.

• In 1998 the organization motivated the people to protest against the advertisement of tobacco in the electronic media. The organization received the signature of 1, 00,000 people from different socio economic level and it was submitted to the Prime Minister of Nepal. As a result the government of Nepal in the electronic media from the year 1999 has prevented the publicity of tobacco and its products.

• NCRS has played a desirable role for the ratification of the FCTC treaty by pressing the government through special bill decision. NCRS has also dispatched request letter to all municipalities in Nepal to ban tobacco and its products advertisement through billboards and hoarding.

• NCRS is actively working and negotiating for the effective implementation of policies of FCTC treaty by pressing the law implementing agencies and house of parliament. Remarkable number of seminars has already been conducted by NCRS for this regard.

• NCRS is going to conduct a national alliance movement against tobacco by establishing a network of more than 10 different organizations working in the sector of tobacco control. The name of the networking organization will be Tobacco-Free Initiative Nepal. NCRS is actively working out for this purpose and trying to bring outstanding revolution for tobacco control.

• NCRS has been providing a TOBACCO QUIT LINE service for counseling people who wants to quit tobacco products as a part of rehabilitation.

3. Working with Professional organization

Volunteer Support Program (V.S.P.)

Cancer is a disease which not only disturbs person’s health physically but also mentally, psychologically .In such hard times cancer patients requires backup from other people whether from family members or friends. If the support giver is one of the survivors from cancer, then the cancer patients will have more trust and confidence towards that person and will take shorter time when he/she is physically as well as psychologically stressed.
Counseling from others in difficult situations gives hints of hope and sense of happiness in the face of the patients. It has been proved as one of the effective methods to support the cancer patients. Their happiness can be seen on their faces when counselors share their feelings with them. The patients feel glad that people have time to talk with them and who are ready to listen to their feelings, sometimes it's harder for the cancer patients to speak up openly with their family members. In those circumstances, they share their matters with the counselor. Occasionally counselor acts as a mediator between the cancer patients and their family members.
With the objective to help cancer patients and their family members V.S.P has been launched. The program was launched two years ago and through this program many patients have successfully received counseling service which they were in need of.

4. Others

Tobacco Quit Line Program

'' Tobacco Quit-Line telephone counseling service “ is a counseling service aimed to help tobacco users who want to quit tobacco related products .It is especially intended for those, who are in need of proper counseling regarding tobacco use and its effects on their health. For the first time in Nepal, this telephone counseling service was started by NCRS on May 31st,marking World No Tobacco Day 2005,which  was inaugurated by Vice President of the Ministry of Council and Minister of Population and Health Ministry Honorable Kritinidhi Bista.
This telephone counseling service since then has become an easy and convenient way for those who wanted to get counseling on quitting tobacco products .Addicts who were searching for an appropriate place where they can share their feelings regarding their addiction were really contented to get suggestion and instructions through this service.
More than 400 callers have dialed to this service and more than 100 of the callers have benefited through this service that are now staying as a non smoker.
Tobacco quit line counselling service number is : 977-01-5201200 (from 11:00 am-5:00Pm)

Curative Programs:

NCRS is directly supporting the community by providing curative facilities for the cancer patients suffering from cancer who don't have the money for the treatment. It is a well known fact that cancer is a very dangerous and expensive to cure. There are large numbers of poor people in Nepal suffering from cancer without treatment. NCRS helps them by providing medical facilities. For achieving this goal, NCRS is running a Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital (BCH) in collaboration with Rotary International, local community and Nepal Government's Ministry of Health in 1992. Patients are referred to BCH from other territory centers in the region for proper counseling and treatment. Presently, BCH is a 72-bedded hospital that provides chemotherapy, radiotherapy, brachyotherapy and surgical services including palliative care and pain management services. About 10,000 new cancer patients, both children and adults, are treated every year. Doctors treat cancers of the lung, cervix, breast and ovary as well as leukemia. The patients diagnosed during cancer screening programs are referred to the Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital and other cancer hospitals inside the country or abroad if necessary.
Every year the incoming of new cancer patients are increasing in Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital. The patients increasing data shows that it has become very important to uplift the cancer control programs both in preventive as well as curative aspects.
Similarly the cancer treatment facility is also provided by other cancer hospitals of Nepal. B.P Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital is one of them.  Similarly, Bir Hospital and T.U Teaching hospital is also providing cancer treatment facility to some extent. Kanti Children Hospital is giving medical facilities for treating child cancer.

Fund Raising Programs

Financial status is the major part of every organization. For the non government organizations like NCRS, it has always become a big challenge to sustain and conduct its activities. There are several fundraising aspects of NCRS. They are categorized into following subheadings.

• Fund collected from international organizations under small grants programs by submitting proposals.
• Annual Donor Program of NCRS.
• Fund Raising Events conducted by NCRS.

Small Grants awarded by International Cancer Organizations is a major part of the financial status of NCRS. Every year in special occasions like World Cancer Day, World No Tobacco Day the International Organizations support small grant awards for the organizations like NCRS working in the sector of cancer and tobacco control.
NCRS has its Annual Donor Program- another fund raising program. Under this program NCRS makes annual members, who annually donate certain amount of money. NCRS send them vote of thanks and reports of all the activities where the donations have been utilized.
Every year NCRS conducts several fund raising entertaining events. The events not only help to raise funds but also help in creating awareness about cancer and tobacco. The programs help to make general public, community people a part of cancer control. NCRS also organizes concerts, folk songs competitions and shows to raise fund for cancer patients and to conduct cancer control activities.
Some Fund Raising Events are:

• Good Morning Tea
• Walkathon
• Run For Cure
• Relay for Life
• Garage Sale
• Nurse of the Year
• Dress Down Day
• Raffal
• Concert
• Movie nights

• News And Events

  2011-07-24
  Pap smear camp

  NCRS conducted pap smear test of 35 women. Awareness is raising among women for pap smear test to diangose cervical cancer early.
  
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  2011-07-23
  cancer awareness class

  On July 23, NCRS organized cancer awareness class at Hillary Schools Chabahil in association with NCRS kathmandu Branch. In the program Dr. Sudip Shrestha, Dr. Pranita Bhatt and Ms. Roshani took class on different topics of cancer.CEO of Cancer Council Queensland Prof. Jeff Dunn was guest of the program. Chairman of NCRS, Mr. Lokendra Kumar Shrestha talked on the importance of awareness for cancer prevention.
  
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