Under the High Patronage of His Excellency, President of the Republic of Lebanon General Michel Aoun, represented by Health Minister, Ghassan Hasbani, the Children's Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL) -- affiliated to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH) in Memphis, Tennessee -- at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) organized its first Childhood Cancer Conference on Friday. 
Attending the event had been Former Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh representing House Speaker, Nabih Berri, Minister of Women's Affairs, Jean Oghassapian, President of King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC) in Amman, Princess Ghida Talal, as well as several researchers, doctors, students and parents of children with cancer. 
"Through his sponsorship of this conference, President of the Republic Michel Aoun has shown interest in the health of children," Hasbani said at the beginning of his speech. 
He applauded the Children's Cancer Center for its work, confirming that children with cancer were treated at the expense of the Ministry of Health. 
"1400 patients, including 122 at St-Jude hospital, were treated at the expense of the Ministry of Health," he said. 
Hasbani added that he endorsed the efforts of several scientific and other associations to strengthen cancer prevention, especially among children. 
He finally revealed that a national registry for cancer patients was being developed, and that a committee of oncologists had been trained to order the necessary drugs for patients. 
"Doctors must respect this committee to avoid wasting public funds," he said, before concluding that his ministry was ready to develop any protocol necessary for the treatment of cancer patients. 

source: NNA