| Members of Soka Gakkai Malaysia with the invited speakers and volunteers for the medical talks |
The Breast & Hospice Care “Unveiled” at Soka Gakkai Malaysia, Klang, Selangor – 15 October 2006
By Dr Evelyn Ho On a Sunday afternoon, two cars made their way to Klang from Petaling Jaya. Dr Michael Yoong Meow Loke, one of the prime movers of Hospice Klang and organiser of the medical talks at the Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) was with Dr Loh Ee Chin, Palliative Care Doctor-in-charge at the Kasih Hospis in Malaysia and Ms Kwan Yau Oi, a radiographer trained in mammography. In the other car were Dr Evelyn Ho, Consultant Clinical Radiologist, Rosa Ho (breast health awareness volunteer) and Francis Lee (IT and photographer volunteer). The objectives of the talk at SGM was to increase the awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer, the investigations used in the early detection and secondly for increasing awareness of hospice care and to inform the SGM members of the extent of care/services available in the local community. Information booths and leaflets, as well as hands on practice on silicon breast teaching models were set up. 
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| Dr Loh Ee Chin | Dr Evelyn Ho |
The afternoon started off with The Breast & I by Dr Evelyn Ho. As usual an interactive talk with audience participation was the modus operandi. Dr Ho was there where the audience was sitting to elicit responses and participation. The main takeaway message was to empower and motivate everyone to take charge of their breast health, not fear the worst, which was breast cancer. They should go forward to get their investigations done if they found something wrong in their self breast checks and if necessary, to carry through with treatment at the earliest stage possible. Ms Kwan, speaking in Mandarin, assisted Dr Ho, by explaining and demonstrating how to look and feel the breasts systematically – thereby addressing the bigger portion of the 700 odd people in the audience. An active question and answer session followed. Dr Loh introduced the subject of palliative and hospice care. Death was no taboo as she explained how people would not fear death if they were “comfortable” and relatively pain free, had their loved ones around and accepted that death was after all part of life. It was more important how life was lived. She also spoke of values in life, how to be thankful for what everyone had and how to do good while still alive. She ended by giving some true stories of those under hospice care to illustrate the various concepts. The afternoon ended by 4.30pm with tokens of appreciation presented to Drs Evelyn, Loh and Michael Yoong by Madam Hong Ong Neo, Women’s Division Leader, Selangor. Special thanks to Mr Johnny Ng Teck Sim, Chairman of the SGM Selangor and his wife Chong Siew Kim for having made the afternoon possible and gathered so many to listen to the talks. | 
