NDTC to dance for Hope

The Friends of Hope Institute will be collaborating with the National Dance Theatre Company (NDTC) during its 2018 Season of Dance for a benefit performance to support the Hope Institute Hospital this Friday, August 10.

Located in the Elletson Flats valley in Papine, the hospital, established in 1963, specialises in cancer care and is Jamaica's only public sector oncology and palliative care Institute providing care either at a subsidised rate or (since 2008) free of charge. The hospital, which is the only one of its kind in the English-speaking Caribbean, also provides accommodation for cancer patients from rural areas, who would not normally be able to travel to Kingston to receive treatment.

Healthcare leader

The Institute is also the leader in providing training and education for healthcare professionals interested in training in all aspects of oncology and palliative medicine. Palliative care involves pain control and easing the side effects from treatment and also the concerns that patients may have about the future of their families and other emotional challenges. "It is more than disease-oriented care. The care we offer is more personal and seeks to improve the patient's quality of life and helps to relieve them of the suffering and stress caused by their illness," explains senior medical officer at the Institute, Dr Dingle Spence.

Thanking the "Friends of Hope Institute, Dr Spence notes, "We are aware that the Government is stretched in providing funding in all the areas of health that need their attention - so the Hope Institute is very grateful for any financial assistance we receive that will help to expand the care to every Jamaican who need it, and continue our research in all areas of cancer care."