Malaysian Cancer Council sets up branches in Vietnam, Singapore

Malaysia\'s National Cancer Council (Majlis Kanser Nasional - Makna) will spread its wings to the Asean region by setting up a branch each in Vietnam and Singapore to help lessen the financial burden faced by cancer patients in seeking treatment, the Malaysian news agency Bernama reported Monday.

Its president Datuk Mohd Farid Ariffin said the two countries had given their approval to the setting up of the Makna branches.

"Our aim has been to make Makna an international body as there are cancer patients all over the world," he said after a cancer awareness briefing for Bernama staff at Wisma Bernama, here Monday.

According to him, the initial target was Asean countries as the society in this region had noble values such as the desire to help those in need.

"We will use the funds collected in Malaysia for Malaysians and likewise, in Vietnam for the Vietnamese and in Singapore for Singaporeans. Only with the approval of our (Malaysian) donors, will we channel the funds to other countries to assist their patients," he said.

Mohd Farid said cancer was a universal disease and through a network of cooperation, the countries involved could share views and knowledge and have exchange of experts to conduct research on cancer.

"We have done some research on cancer and could see how diet could be a risk factor for cancer," he said.

On the setting up of a medical centre for cancer, Mohd Farid said it was still a plan as setting up a hospital specially for cancer patients would incur a high cost.

"I have to be patient as the hospital we have in mind is one that is fully equipped to treat cancer patients so that they won\'t need to go abroad for treatment."

Mohd Farid, who is a former health minister, said to set up the cancer hospital, the lack of local specialists to treat the disease must also be addressed in order to provide quality service at the proposed hospital.