[Diocese of Egypt] Yesterday marked the first opening of Harpur Memorial Hospital’s mammography unit. His Excellency Ralph King of the Australian Embassy and two representatives visited the hospital for this historic occasion, cutting the ribbon over the door while the Most Rev. Dr. Bishop Mouneer, hospital director Dr. Samir Rizkalla, and others looked on.

The unit, funded through partnerships with the Australian Embassy and the Japanese Embassy, will serve up to one thousand patients a year, providing early detection and diagnostic screenings for breast cancer. Until now, women at risk for breast cancer were forced to travel several hours to Cairo for diagnostic tests. Now, mammography is available at Harpur. The hospital’s trusted and competent staff hopes to reduce the breast cancer mortality rate through these screenings, and also to provide preventative care and health education to the women who come from throughout Menoufiya to the hospital for testing and treatment.

The ambassador’s visit included a tour of the hospital and tea with several doctors and hospital administrators. At the luncheon, Dr. King expressed his gratitude to the hospital for their excellent, professional work, which is an encouragement to the embassy. Dr. Samir and Bishop Mouneer extended their thanks as well, as the support of the embassy made the mammography unit possible.