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On the 10th anniversary of Dar al Hanan, Minister of Health Dr Ahmed al Saeedi launched a commemorative postal stamp by Oman Post valued at R0 1.
For the past 10 years Dar al Hanan has been the second home for children fighting cancer, who come from all other parts of Oman and stay with their families while taking treatment at the Royal Hospital.
The event began with a moment of silence honouring cancer patients.
Dar al Hanan functioned normally throughout the pandemic. The number of patients who benefited from this facility has been 538 since 2011, and the number of relatives has been 1,076. The number of residents per year stands at 17,280 and number of meals served is 51,849. All nationalities have benefited from Dar al Hanan over the years, a home away from home. The stay, meals and even the laundry are taken care of throughout the duration of their treatment.
The gross annual expenditure is RO 425,000 and it is covered by a number of donors directly or indirectly.
It took a year to iron out the challenges to convince others and deal with the logistics, according to Yuthar al Rawahi, founder of Oman Cancer Association.
Commemorating the 10th anniversary, Minister of Health Dr Ahmed al Saeedi launched a stamp.
“This is something unique for Dar al Hanan to be on the stamp,” noted Yuthar, a four-time cancer survivor who founded the Oman Cancer Association as a non-governmental, non-profit charity organisation. Most of the sponsors who supported Dar al Hanan were present at the event.
In his speech, Dr Wahid al Kharousi, the Chairman of OCA, said, “Our priority is not purely to support the cancer patients and their families but our responsibility is to appreciate their challenges and offer solutions within the government structure and governance.”
He added that cancer is one of the most expensive diseases to manage especially if it is left unnoticed due to lack of awareness and late diagnosis. Cancers pose socio-economic and legal challenges and negatively impact the country’s GDP, especially in Oman, where the citizens are being given free treatment in modern centres.
There is the next dream for Dar al Hanan, says Yuthar, “It is important now for Dar al Hanan to have its own purpose built building. That is my next wish. It has been 20 years since Dar al Hanan and Oman Cancer Association have been functioning in rented buildings. A major share of the fund is spent as the rent.”
Before Dar al Hanan, families used to abandon treatment or give up on follow-ups, according to the OCA senior members.
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