Yayasan Budi Penyayang Malaysia (Penyayang), a charity foundation, and Big Caring Group, Malaysia’s leading retail pharmacy chain, have formalised a collaboration through an MoU to expand access to essential cancer care and support for eligible patients.
The collaboration brings together Penyayang’s Positive Image, a key initiative dedicated to providing essential services and support to cancer patients and their families at subsidised rates, with Big Caring Group’s community healthcare resources via Big Pharmacy and its flagship cancer care initiative, Ribbon of Hope.
The collaboration aims to help ease some of the financial and practical challenges faced by cancer patients throughout treatment and recovery.
Through Big Pharmacy, eligible patients will have access to agreed oncology medications at zero mark-up pricing, essential care items including stoma bags and adult diapers, as well as rehabilitation equipment through a free loan programme.
“For Penyayang, our priority has always been to help ensure that cancer patients and their families can access the practical assistance they need beyond hospital care. Through Positive Image, we have worked to make essential medical, rehabilitation and lifestyle items more accessible to those navigating treatment and recovery.
"Our collaboration with Big Caring Group allows us to extend this journey of care by connecting eligible patients with greater access to medication, essential care items and rehabilitation equipment, and we are grateful to have a like-minded partner committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by cancer,” said Datuk Ariff Farhan, General Manager of Penyayang.
Wong Siew Lai, Chief Marketing Officer of Big Caring Group, added that: “We believe supporting cancer patients means looking beyond the treatment itself and recognising the everyday challenges they and their families face throughout the cancer journey.
"Our collaboration with Penyayang allows us to respond to some of these needs more practically – by bringing greater access to community pharmacy support through BIG Pharmacy.
"This also builds on the broader work of Ribbon of Hope, our flagship cancer initiative that focuses on advancing cancer awareness, early detection, access to care and support. We hope this partnership will help strengthen the support available to patients and their families, while making a tangible difference to those navigating cancer.:
For oncology medications, agreed treatments will be available at zero mark-up pricing, with an administration fee of RM20 per treatment cycle.
The essential care support will include up to 60 stoma bags per eligible patient, equivalent to approximately two months’ supply. A total of 3,000 packs of adult diapers will also be allocated, with each eligible patient receiving a one-month supply.
The support will also cover rehabilitation needs, with eligible cancer patients able to access wheelchairs, hospital beds and oxygen concentrators through the free loan programme. Delivery charges will be fully covered to help make the equipment more accessible to patients during their recovery.
Also at the event, Penyayang donated cash vouchers of RM 50,000 to Institut Kanser Negara (IKN) to be distributed to eligible patients.
According to the Chairman of Penyayang, Nori Abdullah, the patients can use the cash vouchers to buy the related subsidised paraphernalia at Positive Image. The cash vouchers have been distributed to the patients through the Social Welfare Department of IKN since 2023.
"I was also informed by IKN that there is an average of 90 new cancer cases every day in the Klang Valley alone, which amounts to nearly 3,000 cases a month, and 30,000 cases a year. Behind each of these numbers, there is a person, a family, a mother, a father, a child who is fighting.
"Treatments like Bevacizumab, a crucial targeted drug in cancer treatment, can cost thousands of ringgit per bottle. For B40 families, this is not just a financial challenge; it is a barrier to continuing life.
"Through this agreement with Big Pharmacy, it will supply Oncology Drugs without markup to patients, provide basic care items such as colostomy bags and adult nappies for free to patients, and offer rehabilitation equipment either for free or on rental to 200 patient slots. It is very helpful in Penyayang's missions and objectives to help those cancer patients in real need."
For the record, Penyayang has a broad spectrum of objectives which are contextualised in major areas of societal concern mainly in Cancer Care, Community Work Among Undergraduates, Community Outreach Involvement, Family, Culture and Heritage and Social Enterprise.
Penyayang also initiated and supports the development of Penyayang Pesakit Kanser (PPK). PPK (literally meaning Cancer Patient Care) aims to extend care, comfort, consolation and compassion to all cancer patients, cancer survivor and their families. PPK garners the support of concerned individuals, caring corporate houses, supportive institutions of higher learning and like-minded non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to achieve its goals.
As for the Big Caring Group, it is a leading retail pharmacy chain in Malaysia, with a nationwide network of more than 600 retail outlets under established brands, namely BIG Pharmacy, Caring Pharmacy, Georgetown Pharmacy, Wellings Pharmacy and Ting Pharmacy.
