08.02.2018 a press conference and council meeting were held at Sokos Hotel
Viru conference centre celebrating the Gift of Life Cancer Treatment
Foundation’s fourth anniversary. Besides the foundation’s board and its
council, Rain Laane, the chairman of management board of the Health Insurance
Fund, and Ave Laas, the project manager of the charity Duck Race 2018, took the
floor during the media event as well. Marju Maasik-Kütt, who is supported by
the foundation, was also present.
“The work of the Gift of Life Cancer Treatment Foundation is
highly appreciated. The foundation acts as a bridge between new medications and
health insurance, as the Health Insurance Fund is unable to fund new
medications,” said Rain Laane, the chairman of management board of the
Health Insurance Fund. “In 2017, the Health Insurance Fund covered all in
all 106 million euros’ worth of cancer treatment. Any additional contribution,
such as the major support of the Gift of Life Foundation’s donors, is extremely
important. We are working on it to find, in cooperation with the foundation,
means to negotiate a reasonable price from pharmaceutical companies for
medications to help our people.”
“The lack of availability of cancer treatment medications is a
major problem for Estonian health care, but it’s not the only one. The
fundamental problem lies in the overall low funding of health care, resulting
in a lack of availability of cancer treatment medications among others,”
said member of the Gift of Life Cancer Treatment Foundation Council, Dr Peeter
Padrik.
“In Estonia, healthcare costs amount to 6.7% of GDP. In OECD
countries it’s 9% on average. Estonian healthcare spends only half of that
spent per person on average in other OECD countries. At the same time the
donations made to the cancer treatment foundation prove that Estonians are
willing to contribute more to healthcare if they can see where the money goes
and what it’s needed for. It would be the task of politicians, healthcare
officials and perhaps even doctors to establish additional systems besides the
Health Insurance Fund that would enable additional funds to be provided to the
healthcare system to cover therapeutic needs not yet covered,” he added.
“In 2017, the cancer treatment foundation was dumbstruck in a good
sense. Estonians’ willingness to do good knocked us off our feet,” said
Toivo Tänavsuu, the head of the cancer treatment foundation. “The
foundation’s revenues skyrocketed and we were able to make a gift of hope and
life to one hundred people. Nearly 20,000 people donated to the foundation and
we continued to help every cancer patient who came to us and belonged to our
target group. None were left without an additional chance. This shows something
is very much right with Estonian society: we want and can help our own people
as one in this difficult fight. Today our hearts are filled with
gratitude.”
2017 in numbers:
× 100 people receiving support
(+2.5×)
× 1.8 million euros revenue (+ 1
million)
× 1.4 million euros for cancer
treatment (+2×)
× 20,000 benefactors (+ the people
who donated via the donation boxes)
× 3500+ regular benefactors
× 3.4% foundation’s operating costs
× 90,000 euros operating grant from
the state
History
2014 – 250,000 euros revenue, 11 people supported
2015 – 630,000 euros revenue, 50 people supported
2016 – 805,000 euros revenue, 45 people supported
2017 – 1.8 million euros revenue, 100 people supported
The Gift of Life Cancer Treatment Foundation
kindly asks all people and companies in Estonia to support the foundation with
a regular donation to make sure no one is left without crucial help in 2018.You
can become a regular benefactor within seconds using the bank link at www.kingitudelu.ee/annetajale