We would like to thank the tireless efforts of the Kota Bharu Taskforce and their supporters as follows:

Jawatankuasa Kempen Kesedaran Kanser Payudara

Prof. Madya  Datin Dr. Rashidah bt Shuib,
Penyelaras, Jabatan Unit Perkembangaan Kesihatan Wanita, USM

Dr. Mahayidin Muhamad & Dr Latifah Mohd Basheer
Pensyarah, Jabatan Radiologi,Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan, USM

Dr. Abdul Rahman b. Md Ariff,
Pemangku Ketua Jabatan, Jabatan Radiologi,Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan, USM

Dr. Ramli Saad,
Pengarah Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia

Dr. Md. Ariff b. Abas,
Jabatan Pengimejan dan Diagnostik, Hospital Kota Bharu

With strong support from:

• Kelantan Family Planning Association

• WIJADI (Wanita Jaya Diri)

• Yayasan Murni

• HAWA Daerah Tumpat

The education campaign also involved the local press and radio stations in Kota Bharu.  

We congratulate the Kota Bharu team for a successful campaign and here is a short report from the Co-Chairperson of the team. 

A. Prof. Datin Dr Rashidah writes:

Greetings from the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign Committee from Kota Bharu. 

The planned activities took place on the 4th October at the Majlis Daerah Tumpat, in Tumpat.  We had our seminar with the following speakers:

Dr.Shaiful Bahrun Hussein, Surgery Department, USM,("Kanser Payu dara dan Pengesanan Awal"); Puan Nik Hasmah bt. Che Haron ("Pengalaman Bekas Pesakit Kanser Payu Dara: Satu Perjalanan Peribadi") and Dr. Zaihan Awang, Radiology Department, Hospital Kota Bharu. ("Pengesanan Awal Kanser Payu Dara:  Mamografi)

The other activities were the exhibitions, the self breast examination demonstration as well as clinical breast examinations by the nurses from the Pejabat Kesihatan Tumpat. About 300 women from various areas in and around Tumpat came. Those who qualified for mammography, based on a short questionnaire, which they had to fill, were given appointments respectively. 

On 8th October the events were held in Kota Bharu, in Dewan Kuliah 6, Kampus Kesihatan USM.  Similar activities were implemented. Some medical students helped to manage the exhibitions and to offer basic examinations such as height, weight, and blood pressure.  Registration for mammography was also done after the seminar. The response was very good!

The topics for the seminar remained the same. Dr. Zainal Mahamood spoke on “Kanser Payudara dan Pengesanan Awal”, while Ah Kim, who is a member of KAWAN (A Cancer Support Group of the Kelantan Family Planning Association) spoke on “Pengalaman Bekas Pesakit Kanser Payu Dara: Satu Perjalanan Peribadi”. Dr Zaihan Awang spoke again on :Pengesanan Awal Kanser Payudara: Mamografi”. The seminar was held in the morning and there was a good turnout for it.

Registration for mammograms kept the organisers busy until 4 pm on the 8^th October. The participants either heard about the campaign on air or from the papers, from friends as well as through the local women NGOs. There was no problem filling up the quota allocated for subsidised mammograms!

One important point raised during the seminar Q & A session was that we should now refocus our education on women's breast cancer, on men!!  This is because, often, husbands are the ones who have a strong influence on their partners' decision or they even make the decisions for their partners.