Thirty-five breast cancer patients from the Eastern and Western Cape received successful pro bono surgeries through Project Flamingo at the weekend.
Project Flamingo is a nonprofit organisation committed to bringing equitable breast cancer care to all in SA.
The surgeries were undertaken at five public hospitals: Groote Schuur, Tygerberg, George, Cecilia Makiwane in East London and Livingstone in Gqeberha as part of the organisation’s Mandela Day celebrations.
Project Flamingo’s Lou-Ann Stone said the organisation had performed catch-up surgeries, as well as provided compassionate patient support and advocacy programmes, for 14 years.
“Project Flamingo has been a beacon of hope for breast cancer patients in the public health sector,” Stone said.
“They have reduced waiting times, provided critical support and advocated for better breast cancer care across the country.
“Over 1,500 surgeries later, they are committed more than ever to ensure patients get the care they deserve.”
Each of the five highly skilled teams included volunteer surgeons and anaesthetists, dedicated theatre nursing staff and Flaminglet medical students.
At George Hospital, six surgeries were completed under the guidance of head surgeon Dr Kevin Polden, who was leading the George Hospital team.
“As the hospital is at capacity, like most hospitals around the country, we were fortunate that we are always able to make a plan to accommodate our Flamingo patients on the day of admission.
“This list was our fourth for the year, bringing our total surgeries to 24 cases in 2024,” Polden said.
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among women in SA, with one in eight women at risk of being diagnosed globally in their lifetime.
More than 9,000 new cases are diagnosed in SA annually.
Founder of Project Flamingo, breast and endocrine surgeon Dr Liana Roodt, commended the teams for their effort and hard work.
“Our teams are simply the most incredible groups of human beings,” she said.
“I often don’t have the words to describe their resilience and compassion, ensuring breast cancer patients get the timely treatment they deserve.”
HeraldLIVE
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