PCN calls for support
Driving dignity in care
Palliative Care Namibia (PCN) calls on Namibians to support the Palliative Care Fund in aid of financially vulnerable patients in need of specialist palliative and hospice care.PCN, a division of the Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN), officially launched the Palliative Care Fund (PCF) to improve access to palliative and hospice care for financially vulnerable Namibians.
Operating under the same administrative and policy guidelines as CAN’s Patient Financial Assistance Programme, the PCF is specifically focused on raising funds for those in critical need of end-of-life care, including medication and nursing support.
“We receive numerous requests for nursing and medication support for palliative and hospice care,” said Rolf Hansen, chief executive of CAN and PCN. “Sadly, CAN and PCN cannot provide these services free of charge due to the high cost of medical consumables, medications and the remuneration of professional medical teams.”
With CAN’s existing patient financial assistance fund—budgeted at N$2 million for the current financial year—already overextended, the establishment of the PCF has become essential to address these critical needs.
In light of this, PCN calls on the corporate community and the public to support efforts in opening a state patient wing at PCN’s House Zietsman. This facility will accommodate up to nine financially vulnerable, terminal patients, providing them with the same quality care as private patients.
“To fund medicine, consumables and meals for these patients, and to grow the welfare arm of PCN, financial support for the PCF is urgently needed,” Hansen said.
He added that CAN’s programme funds cannot be diverted to support the palliative care patient support programme; therefore, direct investments from donors are essential to sustain this initiative for financially vulnerable Namibians.
PCN’s House Zietsman is located at 3 Jan Jonker Road in Windhoek.
Prospective donors and partners can contact Hansen at [email protected] or Mucky Haushona at [email protected].