Wednesday 07 / May / 2025
Muscat: To help spread awareness and help in the early detection of breast cancer, the Oman Cancer Association (OCA) has launched its second mobile mammography unit (MMU).
The unit will travel to cities and towns in the country and conduct screening of women to help detect signs of breast cancer, enabling them to seek proper medical help.
Explaining the origins of the MMU, Dr Walid Al Kharousi, the president of the OCA, said the idea of setting up such a service was the idea of Yuthar Al Rawahi, the founder of the organisation.
“The mobile mammography unit was her idea, and she decided that the mobile mammography unit should go to women, instead of them going to it,” he said.
“It took her five years to raise money for our first unit, and we inaugurated it in November 2009. Since then, we have screened more than 4,000 ladies over 40 years of age, over which more than a thousand have been suspected of having cancer,”
Kharousi explained: “Someone once asked me why it took so long between the first and second mammography units. I told them that in the beginning, our vehicle was new, but travelling all over the country, especially the hills between Salalah and Thumrait, has taken its toll, and the vehicle is old now, which is why we need a new one.”
Funding for the new MMU came from local company Oxy, as part of its corporate and social responsibility efforts, of which it has many in collaboration with OCA.
Steve Kelly, president and general manager for Oxy Oman, said, “We are excited to launch the Oman Cancer Association mobile mammography unit. In a year in which everybody’s health has been right at the forefront of everything we do, we’ve all become very preoccupied with the coronavirus, but one of its most insidious effects is the impact it has had on other healthcare issues.
He added: “This is why it is especially a pleasure for us to support and announce and introduce this fantastic initiative.”
We expect this to reach wide segments of society all over the Sultanate, in the detection and prevention of breast cancer. Oxy Oman, through its ongoing collaboration with the Oman Cancer Association, we seek to raise awareness throughout the community about beneficial healthcare practices and the importance of preventive measures.
Kelly went on to say: “Our partnership with the OCA has contributed to the emergence of many projects that serve cancer patients throughout the Sultanate, in creating a positive impact on healthcare in local communities. This particular initiative is, of course, extremely important, in getting the word out on preventive care in the Sultanate as far as possible. OCA’s great strides in preventing awareness are very much appreciated. We hope to continue our partnership and find more initiatives to help in this very important work.”
Thanking the company for its work in supporting the Oman Cancer Association, Walid Al Kharousi said, “Instead of taking five years for approval, it took only three months. By the time we put in a request to Oxy and receive the approval to buy the vehicle for the mobile mammography unit, it took just three months, and they will pay for this vehicle entirely.
“It was a great relief for us, and now we have two mammography units serving the country,” he went on to say. “An MMU doesn’t just to mammography, but it spreads awareness among the community, to help them understand cancer, and not just breast cancer. We talk about all cancers, and distribute information through pamphlets about all cancers.
He said: “Oxy has stood with us for every request to support the community in Oman, especially the community for cancer patients and their families. They support us towards everything to do with human resource development, particularly developing advocates, nutrition, spirituality for palliative care, whatever is required.”
