Cancer Care Help Line launched for patients in Sri Lanka

An island-wide cancer counselling hotline, operational for 12 hours a day, was launched yesterday to provide cancer patients in Sri Lanka with physical and mental support.

The Cancer Care Help Line was launched with the aim to uplift the physical and mental condition of cancer patients as well as to provide them with medical consultations and advice on treatment.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, his family members and the Cancer Care Society have taken the initial steps to launch the hotline based on a concept by the Speaker in memory of his daughter, Indira Jayasuriya, who died recently at age 40 due to cancer. Her husband Martin Diker and her two children also participated in the event to launch the service.

The Cancer Care Help Line operates from telephone number 011 236 3211.

Addressing the launch, Minister of Health Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said that cancer has become one of biggest health threats in the country. He added that the Government spends a huge sum of money, in certain cases more than 10 million rupees, for cancer patients.

                   (ColomboPage)