OCA to build new RO 7m cancer care facility

IDRIS AL BALUSHI

MUSCAT, SEPT 20

The Oman Cancer Association (OCA) has been granted a plot of land to build a state-of-the-art facility worth an estimated RO 7 million. The non-profit charity, one of the most respected in the region, provides crucial support to children battling cancer, including free accommodation, meals and transport to treatment centres.

With demand for its services growing, the OCA says the new facility will allow it to expand beyond the current capacity of 16 patients. The new centre, to be built in Madinat al Irfan, will house more than 40 patients across 8,800 square meters. Located between the Royal Hospital and Sultan Qaboos University Hospital — Oman’s two leading cancer treatment centres — the facility will be strategically placed to ease access for young patients receiving chemotherapy.

“The new building will bring substantial benefits to patients and to OCA’s mission,” said Mona al Aufi, a member of the OCA Board of Directors. She noted that the centre will include 40 rooms with modern medical equipment and air disinfection systems, ensuring safer conditions for patients and their families. For the first time, OCA also plans to dedicate a wing for elderly cancer patients, broadening its services beyond children under 17.

Al Aufi, also a cancer screening trainer, urged the public to support the initiative through awareness, volunteering and contributions. She highlighted OCA’s mobile clinic, which travels across the Sultanate of Oman offering free breast cancer screenings, as a reminder of the importance of early detection.

“OCA has always thrived because of the community’s support,” she said. “We hope the public will stand with us in building this new facility, which holds the heart and soul of our mission to improve lives.”