WILLEMSTAD - Patients who have survived cancer or suffer from alopecia feel like they are shouting in the desert, as they go through extremely distressing and emotional situations that often receive no attention from institutions or individuals. Ramón Yung, a Member of Parliament for the MFK faction, after attending the talk "Life after Diagnosis," believes that cancer patients are another forgotten group in our community who truly deserve attention.
Recently, during the talk "Life after Diagnosis," the auditorium of CMC hospital was filled with individuals who have either gone through or are currently undergoing the process of fighting cancer or experiencing hair loss (alopecia). Several individuals shared their testimonies, highlighting how hair loss due to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or alopecia causes a significant blow to their self-esteem, confidence, and even a sense of shame.
The reality of life becomes even more challenging when a person loses one or both breasts. Due to the emotional and psychological impact, self-esteem plummets, and individuals may not even want to look at themselves in the mirror because they no longer recognize themselves. In some cases, this situation has led to family breakdowns and significant stress, resulting in depression as a consequence.
However, to assist those who have suffered hair loss or have lost one or both breasts, there are different techniques and methods available for individuals to maintain the same appearance without undergoing surgery. For those who have lost one or both breasts, there are also modern techniques such as 3D Areola tattooing. Individuals who have shared their testimonies, after receiving assistance to maintain their appearance following hair loss or undergoing a 3D Areola procedure, have indicated that they have regained confidence in themselves and improved their self-esteem. They no longer feel ashamed to present themselves to others, and they can confidently go about their daily lives, even at work. The process of restoring the patient's self-confidence contributes to a faster recovery process, ultimately leading to reduced medical expenses.
However, there is a situation that these cancer patients face. Just like when a person loses, for example, part of their leg and, after some time, they can acquire a prosthesis to regain mobility and continue with their lives, in the case of cancer patients, although the role of hair plays a significant part in the patient's recovery process, it is not covered by the SVB (Social Insurance Bank).
One might think that after suffering hair loss, individuals can simply purchase a wig and wear it on their head. However, in practice, it is not that simple. The scalp can become extremely sensitive, and the use of a wig made with synthetic materials can damage the scalp of the patient. Therefore, the materials used to create the wig must be specialized, allowing the scalp to breathe while also matching the patient's personality.
Providing patients with the opportunity to address these psychological and emotional moments, it will greatly contribute to the recovery process, resulting in shorter treatment periods and reduced healthcare expenses.
Assistance to these patients can be seen as something cosmetic, but in most cases, due to the prolonged situation, the patient must remain under the care of a psychologist, which incurs high healthcare costs.
For this reason, Yung made a petition to the Minister of Health, Mr. Javier Silvania, to listen to the pain and concerns experienced by cancer and alopecia patients and to consider how to support this group, which, in turn, will help reduce healthcare expenses.
The MFK MP expresses gratitude to Minister Javier Silvania for honoring this petition and has already scheduled a meeting with representatives of this group to listen to their pain and learn from their experiences.