Jockey Club funds breast health centre

05/25/2011

With breast cancer now being the leading cancer among Hong Kong women, and new cases increasing at a faster rate over the past 10 years, there is an urgent need to promote breast cancer screening and boost public awareness. To this end, The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust has provided funding to the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation (BCF) to set up a Breast Health Centre in Fortress Hill. 

Speaking at the official opening ceremony attended by BCF Honorary President Dr Rita Fan Hsu Lai Tai, Club Steward Dr Donald K T Li emphasised that prevention was better than cure.  Regular health check-ups, early diagnosis and treatment are the effective methods to cure cancer. “The Club is delighted to support the establishment of the Breast Health Centre which will promote breast health, provide screening and assessment services as well as enhance public awareness of breast cancer,” he said.  “As the city’s major non-government community benefactor, the Club has always attached great importance to public healthcare, contributing more than HK$2.28 billion to this sector over the past decade.” 

Also addressing the gathering, Dr Fan emphasised the importance of having a proper attitude to the illness which, with early detection, could be treated more effectively.  She said this was why the Centre played a vital role in keeping individuals and the community informed of the advantages of breast screening.

Established with Jockey Club funding of nearly HK$15 million, the Centre aims to provide quality breast screening and assessment services at affordable rates, as well as promoting breast-health education to women in the community.  It also offers diagnosis and follow-up tests for suspected cases.  In the coming three years, the Centre is expected to reach some 500,000 women by raising public awareness of the disease, and provide mammogram screening to more than 10,000 women, including subsidising  5,000 low-income women to have free screening services.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club

Founded in 1884, The Hong Kong Jockey Club has become one of Hong Kong’s best known and respected organisations, providing the public with world-class sporting entertainment as well as being the city’s major non-Government community benefactor, now donating more than HK$1 billion a year to charitable and community projects.  It has been a part of Hong Kong through good times and bad, sharing the city’s growth and development with its people, and is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for future generations.