In celebration of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Rizal Medical Center (RMC) and Makati Medical Center Foundation (MMCF) hosted ISHAir Your Hair: A Hair Donation Drive for cancer patients of RMC on Wednesday morning.

Her Excellency Dana Kursh, Ambassador of Israel to the Philippines, led the ceremony, highlighting three Hs and Cs: Hope, Healing, and Hair; Compassion, Care, and Confidence — essential elements to support women battling breast cancer.

Emphasis Salon, represented by Operations Manager Mylene Cantos, served as the official haircutters for the event, helping women who opted to have their hair cut at the hospital. Others donated their hair to RMC to be developed into wigs for patients.

Cancer patients at RMC also attended a seminar on the physical changes they may experience during chemotherapy.

ISHA Women’s Wellness Center

Kursh also highlighted the ISHA Women’s Wellness Center at Rizal Medical Center, explaining that “Isha” translates to “woman” in Hebrew.

“This is comprehensive care for women,” said Dr. Maria Rica Lumague, Medical Center Chief II of RMC. She added that the wellness center covers obstetrics and gynecology — including maternal wellness, cancer care, benign conditions, maternity care, intensive care, and high-risk pregnancies.

Kursh noted that in Israel, every community has hospitals and clinics with dedicated centers for women.

“The care for women is different from the care for men, and we have to look at it holistically,” she said.

The initiative also included the Department of Health (DOH) and MMCF as local partners.