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Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Salma, President of the Lalla Salma Association for the Fight against Cancer, inaugurated the "Maison de vie" (House of Life) in Fez on Monday, intended for the care of cancer patients and their loved ones.
After cutting the symbolic ribbon, Her Royal Highness visited the various facilities of this structure, whose role will be to promote access to treatment by alleviating accommodation difficulties due to the distance factor and to encourage patients to follow their treatments regularly.
Built and equipped by the Lalla Salma Association for the Fight against Cancer, in partnership with the Jamai group, the new unit is expected to benefit some 1,200 patients annually. With a capacity of 48 beds, it includes lounges, meeting rooms, administrative offices, a psycho-oncology room, and play areas.
Covering an area of nearly 2,240 m2, the "Maison de vie" will offer patients and their families accompaniment and psychological and moral support, in a warm setting and environment allowing them to benefit from a stay and adequate social activities.
Patients admitted as a priority are those whose place of residence is furthest from the oncology centre, located within the Hassan II University Hospital of Fez, and those who are undergoing outpatient treatment at the oncology centre and whose resources are limited.
The Lalla Salma Association for the Fight against Cancer, which has set itself the mission of creating houses of life near each oncology centre, ensures that the residents of these temporary accommodation spaces are surrounded by a multidisciplinary team composed of health professionals, psychologists, and social workers.
A group of volunteers provides various social and cultural activities, the organisation of outings, dinners, musical evenings, as well as dietary and hygiene education sessions.
The ALSC has built five houses of life to date: Two have been open since 2007 (Casablanca and Agadir) and three others will open this year (Fez, Casablanca for children, and Marrakech). Two other houses of life are under construction, one in Meknes and the other in Tangier.
Since its creation in 2005, the ALSC has been working, with all its partners, to make the fight against cancer a public health priority in Morocco and the region.
Recognised as being of public utility, the ALSC works to improve patient care, encourage prevention actions, and make the fight against cancer a public health priority in Morocco. The Association is also involved in the field of scientific research, multiplying partnerships in Morocco and internationally.
Upon her arrival at the "Maison de vie", HRH Princess Lalla Salma reviewed a detachment of auxiliary forces that paid honours, before being greeted by Mr Moulay Moustapha Alaoui Ismaili, Inspector General of Health, Mohamed Derdouri, Wali of the Fez-Boulemane region, Governor of the Fez prefecture, the President of the Fez-Boulemane Regional Council, the presidents of the communal and prefectural councils, and the Director General of the Hassan II University Hospital of Fez.
Her Royal Highness was also greeted by the Director of the "Maison de vie", the heads of the oncology, radiotherapy, and paediatric oncology departments, Mr Ahmed Jamai, a benefactor who participated in the realisation of the project, and by the members of the Board of Directors of the Lalla Salma Association for the Fight against Cancer.
Provider / Source : lopinion.ma
