In the year that Supermercados BH turns 25, Instituto Mário Penna also has reason to celebrate. It has been a six-year partnership with Troco Solidário and more than R$ 13 million collected and invested in the treatment of thousands of cancer patients across the state.
Every coin donated by customers makes a difference for those who are treated at IMP. The monthly transfer is essential so that patients receive a dignified, quality treatment, accompanied by a team of renowned multidisciplinary professionals and in a humanized manner.
The supermarkets of BH are present in more than 220 cities in Minas Gerais and, with the dedication of the entire network team, the Institute manages to provide assistance with mastery, being a reference in cancer treatment by the SUS.
“Everyone’s efforts, from senior management to cashiers, make a difference. The achievements we have achieved in this bond we have created with BH Supermarkets are reflected daily in the improvement of the quality of care provided to our patients. We thank everyone for their efforts to help us save lives”, celebrates Marco Antônio Vieira Leite, CEO of Instituto Mário Penna.
“In the last year, after the start of the Covid pandemic, due to the fear of the new and isolation, the losses in all areas and the deaths experienced, the number of mental illnesses increased and, consequently, the number of self-extermination attempts. Aware of this context, we thought of a campaign aimed at the eyes of our employees: an empathetic, non-judgmental and humanized look, where we will try to guide on how to identify risk and prevention factors, inform how to help a colleague or even a family member, where to seek help and engage everyone in this cause to reduce psychological distress and the suicide rate”; explains Gizelle Mesquita, Coordinator of Humanization and Hospital Psychology.
The meeting is online on a remote digital platform and involves resident physicians, assistant physicians and preceptors. They take place monthly, with educational support from the pharmaceutical industry.
Bowel cancer is treatable through surgery and may later require chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Note that it is curable when diagnosed early. The main risk factors for the onset of this tumor are age equal to or greater than 50 years, excess body weight, a diet low in fiber and rich in processed meats, such as sausage, mortadella, ham and salami, for example, and excessive intake of red meat, above 500 grams of cooked meat per week.
Dr. Letícia Braga, Coordinator of the Translational Research Laboratory of the Teaching and Research Nucleus (NEP), will be responsible for the activities at IMP. She explains that Biobanks consist of a sophisticated and well-organized system of programmed storage of biological material (blood, CSF, tumor and normal tissues) and corresponding data, which are accessible for scientific investigation and for the treatment of cancer.