Students and community members donate blood during UCSI University School of Nursing’s “Pink October” activity to raise health and breast cancer awareness.

A medical volunteer conducts a bone scan during UCSI University School of Nursing’s “Pink October” activity to raise health and breast cancer awareness.

A representative from UCSI Group’s Laurent Bleu Skin Science Centre speaks to students about skin care during UCSI University School of Nursing’s “Pink October” activity to raise health and breast cancer awareness. The Centre was offering low-cost beauty

Kuala Lumpur, 27 October, 2010 - Students at UCSI University School of Nursing are giving back to the community. The school raised more than RM5500 for Hospis Malaysia and donated more than 120 pints of blood during its “Pink October” activities to raise health and breast cancer awareness. Activities included offering low-cost health screenings Saturday to the Taman Midah B community in Cheras as well as a day-long “Pink October Activity” and blood drive Wednesday at UCSI University. 

In line with worldwide Breast Cancer Awareness Month, also known as “Pink October,” much of the School of Nursing’s efforts focused on spreading information about the disease and teaching people to get regular health screenings to detect problems early. Nursing students, along with other medical volunteers, conducted low-cost health screenings such as pelvic scans, breast examinations, pap smears and general health assessments to help people become more aware of their current health status. Wednesday’s event also included a pink ribbon sale and “fun fair” with games and food available at a low-cost with all proceeds benefiting Hospis Malaysia. UCSI Group’s Laurent Bleu Skin Care Centre was also on hand offering facials, waxing and other beauty treatments with proceeds also benefiting the cause. 

School of Nursing Associate Dean Associate Professor Jeya Devi Coomarasamy said the School chose to donate to Hospis Malaysia, because it is a charitable organisation that needs support. Hospis Malaysia is a non-profit health care provider that cares for the terminally ill. She said working with the organisation and real-life people also benefits her nursing students. 

“Our mission is to teach the nursing students to be caring and to be compassionate. Not all can be taught in the classroom,” she said. “We also want to build confidence in the students when facing the public and promote health awareness to clients who are well.” 

Nursing students said they were more than happy to participate in the event. 

“We are nurses, we must help the patients,” first-year nursing student Jin Sun Cho said. “If we don’t have this motivation, we can’t be a nurse.” 

Nasim Routeh, another first-year nursing student, said breast cancer awareness is a particular interest for her and one she wants to promote. 

“It’s a problem in the world, it causes a lot of suffering and some of them don’t have the money to buy medication,” she said. “The purpose for me is helping.” 

The event was one of several outreach programmes conducted by the School of Nursing. The School raised RM8000 to benefit a home for HIV-infected children during its 2008 Red Ribbon Charity Walk and provided free health and dental counselling to an Orang Asli village in Cameron Highlands earlier this year. The School also conducts regular free health screenings to residents in the Taman Midah B community in Cheras. To date, the School has raised nearly RM8000 for Hospis Malaysia.