Prosthetics appeal to help breast cancer sufferers

A SCOTTISH charity caring for cancer patients in Moldova has made a plea to health boards for donations of prosthetics to help women who have suffered from breast cancer.

John McKellar, Moldova country manager for Hospices of Hope, which runs Hospice Angelus in the poverty-stricken capital Chisinau, said there had been a huge demand for prosthetics for women who had undergone a mastectomy as part of their treatment.

“The healthcare situation here in Moldova has been critical for some time,” he said. “Ever since the fall of the Soviet Union 20 years ago, intentions to improve the national health system have been evident but little is being done to improve the lives of those with life-limiting illnesses such as cancer.

“While Hospice Angelus Moldova has been working with patients for 11 years, we only started working with women who had gone through mastectomies in 2010.

“Last year we provided 26 prostheses to 20 patients, but this year we have seen a huge increase in demand. This year alone, we have had 140 women asking us for help.

“However, we have only been able to supply 80 prostheses as we cannot meet the demand. The authorities in Moldova simply do not have the means to provide, so people come to us to find a solution.”