IN observance of World Cancer Day on Friday, GTT has allocated $4M from its Pinktober funds to the Cancer Institute of Guyana, for cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment.

World Cancer Day is being observed under the theme ‘Closing the Care Gap’.
According to a release, GTT’s Pinktober Coordinator, Diana Gittens, explained that the Cancer Institute of Guyana will provide the services and treatment, while the Oncology Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) would identify patients to access the services as they have done in the past.

“Through the Pinktober funds we have been working constantly to close the care gap by facilitating access to education, pap smear screening, diagnostic testing, treatment, and palliative care throughout the regions,” she said.

“Recently, we have donated 500 pap smear kits to the Chronic Disease Unit to provide free pap smear testing for women in Regions Three, Four, Five, Six, and 10. So, our efforts to close the care gap is continuous as we work to raise cancer awareness and provide the means to treatment in Guyana,” Gittens added.

Meanwhile, GTT’s Senior Public Relations and Corporate Communications Manager, Jasmin Harris, reminded that strengthening the community is one of the key promises at GTT.

“Pivoting GTT to become a 21st century customer-centric organisation means supporting initiatives that strengthen the community. It is our hope that our continued support for cancer [care] in Guyana will help to close the cancer care gap and raise education and awareness for better handling of cancer in Guyana,” Harris said.

Chief Executive Officer of the Cancer Institute of Guyana, Dr. Suddhasattwa Ray thanked GTT for its yearly donation through its Pinktober Initiative.

“GTT’S cancer initiative has certainly made a difference in the lives of cancer patients. This has made a real difference in our fight against cancer, as well as in our efforts to improve the lives of both patients and their families,” she said.

Dr. Ray highlighted that in 2021, 35 cancer patients benefitted from radiation treatment and CAT scans through the previous $4 million Pinktober donation.

In addition to GTT’s donation, two patients identified by the Oncology Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) have also benefitted directly from Pinktober funds. The handover was facilitated by GTT’s Pinktober donors: GUYOIL and the Guyana Public Service Credit Union (GPSCCU) valued at $200,000 respectively, the release noted.