莱索托达到的癌症护理里程碑
Meet the first patient to receive chemotherapy in the landlocked African nation
Originally published on Bristol Myers Squibb News & Perspectives
多年来，莱索托的癌症患者认为改变生活的癌症治疗遥不可及。他们的内陆国家中没有肿瘤学诊所，被陡峭的山脉响起，被南非包围。那些希望接受治疗旅行时间的人，穿越山脉到达南非的布隆方丹。一些患者越过海洋到印度，远离亲人的治疗了数周。
对于病患者，对于许多努力为家人提供食物和住房的患者，护理根本不是一种选择。那就是，到目前为止。
7月，一名莱索托癌症患者接受了该国有史以来第一次化学疗法输液。This momentous event was the result of the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation’s collaboration with government officials and local staff, including Dr. Pearl Ntšekhe (right), director of the Senkatana Oncology Clinic in Maseru, Lesotho, and Dr. Kabelo Mputsoe (not pictured), who administered the treatment at Senkatana.
Bristol Myers Squibb基金会provides extensive resources and in-service training in Lesotho to support pharmacists and oncology nurses. Increasing the number of oncology-trained local healthcare providers will contribute to the long-term sustainability of the program.
点对点支持时刻：作为癌症幸存者，“博士Pearl”了解治疗困难和患者舒适的重要性。
Speaking softly, Dr. Pearl recalls, “When I had cancer, I learned firsthand that patients encounter many problems traveling to receive treatment. The journey is long and difficult, and our transportation is often unreliable.”
She emphasized, “It was important to me to work towards a better experience for patients.”
She often displays that empathy, gently patting a shoulder, tucking in a blanket, nodding her head, listening carefully to concerns, and always offering clear, thoughtful answers to questions.
Bristol Myers Squibb基金会推出了Senkatana卓越诊所中心over 20 years ago as a first anti-retroviral clinic to fight HIV/AIDS in Lesotho. Those early learnings helped them expand to address tuberculosis in Lesotho and now, cancer diagnosis and treatment. Historically, the lack of local oncology-trained healthcare providers and low patient awareness have led to low diagnosis rates.
Disease education and communication will go a long way to reduce the cultural stigma and fear of cancer, encourage potential patients to seek early diagnoses, increase awareness of local care, and – equally important – provide hope. Support from loved ones and hearing the stories of other patients can be helpful as well.
Bristol Myers Squibb基金会与Rutgers Institute for Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowships, provides a 12-month Public Health Residency Program, which plays an important role in building that local care. Alejandro Nava (right) was selected for the program and is devoting six months to teaching cancer care at Senkatana Clinic. Preparing for the first chemotherapy infusion, he worked hand-in-hand with the staff and walked the patient through every step of the process. The primary goal of the residency program is to improve health outcomes and decrease health disparities in underserved, under-resourced areas.
Dr. Pearl recalled that when she told that first patient about receiving cancer care at the Senkatana Clinic, “She had been worried about having to travel far away for her treatment. She told me that she couldn’t believe she was being treated here at home. She never thought she would be able to receive treatment among people speaking her native language, Sesotho. She thought it was a dream.”
When patients arrive for their weekly appointments, sometimes their bloodwork indicates that they need hydration, medication or nutrients before they can take their next infusion. A high percentage of Lesotho’s population suffers from nutritional deficiencies, so the clinic suggests canned nutritional supplements that meet specific needs. Visits end with recommendations for proper, consistent follow-up care – critical to cancer recovery.
After three weeks, the first patient begins to see some improvement and feels at home with the cancer team. Three months after the cancer clinic opened, more than 20 patients are receiving cancer treatment and follow-up care at Senkatana.
患者和她的家人很感激她是第一个在莱索托（Lesotho）接受化学疗法治疗的人，莱索托（Lesotho）是一个超过200万居民的国家。
That first infusion in July was the result of years of planning and collaboration to improve access to healthcare for the people of Lesotho.
Last year, the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation launched the first Comprehensive Cancer Care Centre of Excellence in Soweto, the fourth largest city in South Africa. The facility and its local team provide access to cancer care for some 1.8 million residents.
Learn more关于Bristol Myers Squibb基金会以及基金会为解决巴西健康差异所做的类似工作。
