Petition for the provision of a full Breast Unit for the Maltese Islands

 The 4th European Guidelines for Quality Assurance in Breast Cancer Screening and Diagnosis dedicates a whole chapter to the concept of a specialized breast unit.  All diagnosis, plans for surgery and treatments must be discussed within a multidisciplinary team prior to any patient intervention within an environment which follows the criteria established in the EU Guidelines mentioned.

The Action for Breast Cancer Foundation and the Breast Care Support Group Europa Donna Malta  would like to request that the Minister for Health for Social Policy, Health, the Elderly and Community Care, supported by the Government, initiates the process for such a unit to be made available to women with Breast Cancer in Malta and Gozo prior in the near future.

EU Guidelines stipulate that such a unit should be in place by the year 2016. ABCF and BCSGED and all those who sign their name to this petition are requesting that immediate action is taken to ensure that the existing specialized Breast Care Team be given the facilities to start creating this Unit ensuring that it is up and running before 2016.

www.actionforbreastcancer.com VO/0058                                                                   www.europadonnamalta.org.mt VO/0118

Volunteer of the year award winner is announced at roadshow

Mission Fund volunteer Joseph Mifsud won the inaugural National Volunteer Award at the end of the recent European Year of Volunteering roadshow event in Valletta.

The event, held in a tent at the old bus terminal, was officially closed on December 5 by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector (MCVS).

The highlight of the closing ceremony was the presentation of the National Volunteer Award launched earlier this year by MCVS. The board of adjudication was composed of journalist Joe Dimech, MCVS council member Louise Gusman and A?enzija ?g?a?ag? CEO Miriam Teuma.

From now onwards, the National Volunteer Award will be awarded every year on December 5, International Volunteer Day, in order to recognise the work carried out by volunteers.

First place this year was Mission Fund volunteer Joseph Mifsud; joint-second place went to Helen Muscat (Action for Breast Cancer) and Miriam Bonnici (National Parents Society for Persons with Disability and Malta Society of the Blind) third place went to John Peel (National Parents Society for People with a Disability).

The awards were presented by MCVS chairman Robert Farrugia, head of Representation in Malta Martin Bugelli and Voluntary Organisations commissioner Kenneth Wain.

More than 50 voluntary organisations showcased their work during the event, which was visited by more than 2,000 people.

On the penultimate day, MCVS launched its volunteer-matching website www.volontarjat.org, which is designed to link organisations with volunteers and the business sector.