Pictured: Hon. S. Thakur-Rajbansi at the Croftdene Women’s Empowerment Cancer Awareness Day programme.

Hon. Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi stated that the Department of Health grapples with budgets to take care of cancer patients hence the concern with oncology services.

Private sector care on the other hand is very expensive and cancer as a dreaded disease is number one on the list for insurance companies. Even if insurance premiums are paid and one has medical aid, cancer is a disease that every person must prevent at all costs.

She said that trauma was one of the key triggers of people getting cancer. She knows first hand with the loss of her son and future daughter-in-law recently that the pain is immeasurable and the deep hurt can cause one to go into anxiety, panic attacks and depression. All these conditions leads to bad neurotransmitters being released from the brain which become harmful to the body, causing cancer.

Hence, she had decided to avoid dreaded diseases like cancer by taking control of her health which is more important than one’s wealth, she said.

“It was vital for me to draw up a personal weekly journal, dividing each day into 4 zones vertically (morning, midday, afternoon and night) then horizontally into 4 energy types (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual). I ensure that I do activities that maximize my body’s energy requirements. So its important that I get adequate rest, sleep, exercise, nutrition for physical energy in quantity terms. Then for quality I ensure that I focus on required work for 90 minutes at a time so that my mental concentration is powerful. Thereafter, I spend some time checking in with myself about how I’m feeling to connect with myself emotionally.
If I have to take a break to relax my mind and calm my emotions, I do so. Most precious to me is my spiritual connection with my inner spirit soul which is a ball of energy itself.
The human soul needs such attention to be revitalized so that it can reenergize the entire body, mind and soul.”

Mrs Rajbansi ended by encouraging the Croftdene Women’s Empowerment members, families and friends to explore the benefits of yoga interventions for cancer patients and survivors. Currently practitioners are developing yoga programmes that will meet the unique needs of persons affected by cancer. She encouraged yoga practitioners to design such programmes for good health and relaxation. “What we need in our busy, stressful lives”, she said, “is time for the “union” between mind, body and spirit to give a healthy lifestyle with a balanced approach to life.”

Hon. Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi
Leader of the Minority Front
MPL-KZN Legislature