Egyptian singer Ali El Haggar performed at a concert in Morocco to raise funds for a charitable Moroccan cancer centre which supports cancer sufferers and provides them with free medical assistance and accommodation during their treatment. Between 35,000 and 40,000 new cancer cases are detected in Morocco each year, of which only 10,000 to 12,000 receive treatment due to the limited resources of the oncology centres in both Rabat and Casablanca. SHOWS: (MER-2) RABAT, MOROCCO (JULY 18, 2008) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. EXTERIOR OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ONCOLOGY IN RABAT 2. CLOSE OF SIGN READING READING IN ARABIC: "NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ONCOLOGY: SIDI MOHAMMED BEN ABDALLAH'' 3. ENTRANCE TO OUMNIA CENTRE'S PATIENT RECEPTION AREA 4. CLOSE OF CLOSED DOORS 5. NOTICE READING IN ARABIC: "PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT: THE SOCIETY ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES ITS DOORS WILL BE CLOSED FROM 15/07/2008 TILL THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER'' 6. VARIOUS OF CANCER PATIENT NADIA HAJI PUTTING ON HEAD SCARF 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) CANCER PATIENT NADIA HAJI SAYING: "Despite the help I get from the hospital, my situation could be worse without the support I get from this organization (Friends of the National Institute of Oncology AMINO). The organization takes care of 50 percent or more of my cure, morally and materially. I cannot describe to you my suffering with cancer. What can I tell you? Allah is great." 8. FATIMA DADSI BOUTALEB THE SOCIETY'S CHAIRPERSON AND HER ASSISTANT GREETING HAJI 9. HAJI TALKING TO BOUTALEB 10. HAJI RECEIVES MONEY FROM BOUTALEB FOR MEDICAL HELP 11. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FATIMA DADSI BOUTALEB CHAIRPERSON OF SOCIETY OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ONCOLOGY SAYING: "We do not have the means to face all the cases that come to us because most of the cases need very expensive chemical treatment and what we have now does not allow us to face all their needs. This is why we had to close our doors because it is worthless to listen to the patients if you cannot solve their problems." 12. TRUCK UNLOADS CONTAINER CARRYING MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARRIVING AT CENTRE 13. VARIOUS OF WORKERS USING LIFTER TO SET CONTAINER ON GROUND 14. BOUTALEB AND OTHER SOCIETY MEMBERS STANDING IN FRONT OF CONTAINER 15. WORKERS OPENING CONTAINER 16. CLOSE OF MEDICINE BOXES 17. VARIOUS OF CATHY MUNIER, CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEE FOR INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AID (CAPHI), A FRENCH HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION, UNLOADING SUPPLIES FROM CONTAINER 18. CONTAINER BEING EMPTIED 19. (SOUNDBITE) (French) CATHY MUNIER CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEE FOR INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN AID (CAPHI) SAYING: "There are some chairs and tables for checking patients, bags for patients with urinary problems, tubes and food for anaemic patients." 20. EXTERIOR OF NEW CENTRE UNDER CONSTRUCTION 21. VARIOUS OF WORKERS AT CENTRE'S CONSTRUCTION SITE 22. VARIOUS INTERIORS OF NEW CENTRE 23. NEWS CONFERENCE FOR EGYPTIAN SINGER ALI EL HAGGAR 24. JOURNALISTS ATTENDING NEWS CONFERENCE 25. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EGYPTIAN SINGER ALI EL HAGGAR SAYING: "It is a great honour for me to be part of this charitable project. It is important for all artists to take part in such projects because art is not simply a means for getting famous and rich and making fans. Art is also a link between the artist and his/her society and one should always be involved with the public because he/she is one of them." (MER-2) RABAT, MOROCCO (JULY 19, 2008) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 26. EXTERIOR OF MOHAMMED V NATIONAL THEATRE IN RABAT / POSTER FOR CHARITY EVENT 27. CLOSE OF POSTER FOR CHARITY CONCERT 28. ALI EL HAGGAR ON STAGE SINGING 29. VIOLINISTS PLAYING 30. EL HAGGAR SINGING 31. AUDIENCE ATTENDING CONCERT 32. EL HAGGAR SINGING 33. AUDIENCE 34. EL HAGGAR SINGING 35. MOROCCAN SINGER SAEDA CHARAF PERFORMING 36. AUDIENCE STORY: Moroccan cancer patients with limited financial means received a moral boost after a music concert was held in the Moroccan capital of Rabat to raise funds for one of the biggest charitable cancer treatment facilities in the country, which was forced to close its doors earlier this month due to a lack of medical supplies. Egyptian singer Ali El Haggar was the guest star of the show whose proceeds benefit Friends of the National Institute of Oncology (AMINO in French), a non-governmental organization based at the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat. AMINO supervises an average of 60-70 cancer patients per day. Last year it helped more than 22,000 patients, compared to 8,000 in 2003, while spending more than four million Moroccan Dirhams on buying medicine (about 554,629 US Dollars) between June 2000 and December 2006. But the organization was forced to close its doors on July 15 due to the lack of medicine and funds to help cancer patients. It is expected to re-open in early September. Meanwhile, it is giving away what is left of medicines in its pharmacy as well as money to patients in desperate need. Nadia Naji is a typical case study. Born in Casablanca in 1967, she has been suffering from cancer for the last 16 years. She does not have medical coverage and lives permanently in the National Institute of Oncology. Although the Institute provides for most of her medical needs, she relies heavily on the help she receives from AMINO. "Despite the help I get from the hospital, my situation could be worse without the support I get from this organization (Friends of the National Institute of Oncology/ AMINO). The organization takes care of 50 percent or more of my cure, morally and materially. I cannot describe to you my suffering with cancer. What can I tell you? Allah is great,'' Naji told Reuters Television. AMINO was founded in 1998 with the objective of providing cancer patients with limited financial needs both moral and materiel support. When faced with cases beyond the organization's capacity, AMINO seeks out sponsors who could financially contribute to the cost of their treatment. Fatima Dadsi Boutaleb, chairperson of AMINO and herself a former cancer sufferer, said it was pointless for the NGO to keep its doors open if it could not provide for its patients. "We do not have the means to face all the cases that come to us because most of the cases need very expensive chemical treatment and what we have now does not allow us to face all their needs. This is why we had to close our doors because it is worthless to listen to the patients if you cannot solve their problems,'' Boutaleb told Reuters Television. Given the organization's significant role, it has been receiving support from Moroccans themselves as well as foreign charitable organisations who are trying to keep its doors open. Each year, a French charity called the Committee of International Humanitarian Help (CAPHI) ships a container full of medicine and medical supplies to AMINO. "There are some chairs and tables for checking patients, bags for patients with urinary problems, tubes and food for anaemic patients,'' said Cathy Munier, CAPHI's chairperson. In a news conference prior to the charity concert held at Mohammed V National Theatre in Rabat, El Haggar expressed great honour in taking part in an event with such a noble cause. "It is a great honour for me to be part of this charitable project. It is important for all artists to take part in such projects because art is not simply a means for getting famous and rich and making fans. Art is also a link between the artist and his/her society and one should always be involved with the public because he/she is one of them,'' El Haggar said. El Haggar said he received a nominal fee to perform at the concert. According to the World Health Organisation, between 35,000 and 40,000 new cases of cancer are detected in Morocco each year, of which only 10,000 to 12,000 are treated. Most of the cases are diagnosed at a late stage, making their cure very costly. The vast majority of patients are unable to fund the costs of their treatment, especially the expense of chemotherapy.
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