Friends Of Cancer Patients and University Hospital Sharjah Step Up Cancer Care in the UAE

Two parties sign agreement to collaborate and expedite diagnostics and treatment processes 

Sharjah, September 27, 2018:  Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP), a UAE-based cancer non-profit and organisers of one the nation’s most popular annual breast cancer awareness campaigns, the Pink Caravan Ride, has entered into an agreement with the University Hospital Sharjah (UHS) to boost the cancer detection, prevention and treatment services they have been offering to the UAE community across its seven emirates. 

According to the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed by the two parties, first-of-its-kind Pink Caravan Mobile Screening Clinic that was introduced by the campaign early 2018 to offer free screening and early detection services to communities across the UAE throughout the year, will be stationed on the UHS premises . 

The step has been taken to facilitate a medical collaboration between the two parties, which seeks to strengthen the cancer diagnosis and treatment infrastructure in Sharjah and the UAE by offering the UAE’s citizens and residents a dedicated point of contact for breast and cervical cancer detection. 

All referrals made by the Pink Caravan mobile clinic in Sharjah will be taken up by the UHS-based Sharjah Breast Care Centre (SBCC), which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah in March 2016.  According to the MoA, SBCC’s comprehensive multidisciplinary services and treatment will be offered as a preferred choice to patients requiring subsequent diagnostic investigations in order to deliver high quality treatment and patient care.    

Highlighting an essential aspect of this collaboration, HE Sawsan Jafar, Chairperson of FOCP Board of Directors, said: “We value this partnership and continued collaboration with the UHS which fulfills a shared objective in facilitating FOCP’s cancer screening and awareness efforts, as the centre for the Pink Caravan Mobile Screening Clinic, .” 

“Radiological and laboratory investigations undertaken in the mobile medical clinic will be reviewed and interpreted by medical professionals at SBCC, prior to prescribing treatment “. 

 “We are grateful to UHS for offering a marked reduction in the cancer screening and treatment costs in support of FOCP’s community outreach”.  

HE Jafar also noted that FOCP bears all of the treatment costs in the event that   patients do not have access to health insurance coverage or cannot otherwise afford such costs. 

HE Abdulla Ali Al Mahyan, Chairman of Board of Trustees at UHS added: “HE Abdulla Ali Al Mahyan, Chairman of Board of Trustees at UHS added: “FOCP and UHS are longstanding partners. We have collaborated on several occasions to offer specialised and quality public health services, which is in line with the vision and directives of HH Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. This MoA takes our collaborative efforts a step further by enabling patients’ direct access to timely expert medical attention. Early detection, right diagnosis and timely treatment are key to the increasing the possibility of a cancer-free life for those who are detected with it. This agreement seeks to facilitate just that. We are confident that this agreement will lay the foundation of a brighter, healthier and happier future for the Emirate of Sharjah and the UAE.” 

He added: “The UHS will offer a 50 percent discount on its prevailing fees for all diagnostics, treatments and follow-ups as well as surgery to all FOCP mobile clinic referrals.”

In June 2012, the Pink Caravan signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the University Hospital Sharjah, to establish the world's first comprehensive breast cancer treatment centre in Sharjah.

These efforts were realised with the establishment of the Sharjah Breast Care Centre in 2016. The centre offers advanced breast cancer treatment and surgical solutions, and is the only  centre-based programme for breast cancer treatment in the UAE that offers comprehensive and multidisciplinary breast cancer treatment including rapid diagnosis of a breast lesions, the development of a treatment pathway, breast cancer surgery – including oncoplastic (reconstructive and plastic surgery) and the administration of chemotherapy.