Anyone who has undergone cancer treatment knows what a burden it is on the body and psyche. Sixty-five-year-old Mirek from a village on the border of the Pardubice and Chrudim districts is unable to drive his Škoda after chemotherapy, fatigue and often vomiting are negative manifestations of this treatment. And so he usually calls a taxi, which is financially demanding considering his pension. The opportunity to use onko TAXI, a unique service, welcomes the senior.
The new service is provided by an association based in Litomyšl. It has a wide range of activities.
| Photo: Association ATENA
The charity association ATENA and MY TAXI launched a unique service for oncology patients – oncoTAXI. “It is one of the possible forms of help. During treatment, patients are often too tired and weak to be able to drive themselves. At the same time, many have to commute for treatment. This is how the idea was born to connect with a taxi service and be able to provide patients with safe transport to where they need to go, ” Aneta Kalinová, the founder of the ATENA association based in Litomyšl, explained how the service works.
The system has simple rules: an oncology patient who is interested in using the oncoTAXI service will receive a password from the ATENA association, which he will simply provide when ordering a car, and can thus benefit from a discount on the fare. “After Pardubice, transport up to 3 km costs CZK 49 and each additional km costs CZK 25. If needed, a car with a platform for wheelchair users is also available,” informed Ladislav Horák, owner of MY TAXI.
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For Mr. Mirek, this translates into a favorable price. “I live closer to Pardubice than to Chrudim. So it works out well for me and I will definitely use this service,” he noted.
The association’s aim is to introduce the onkoTAXI service throughout the country and thus help patients with their daily needs. This unique system already works not only in Pardubice and Chrudim, but also in Kolín, Poděbrady and their surroundings.
The charity association ATENA was founded at the end of 2023 and its goal is to help cancer patients. Thanks to partners who support the association, ATENA provides oncology patients with financial or material assistance, provides spaces for meetings, or organizes long-term collections for children who have lost their parents due to oncological disease. At the same time, it creates a help map that not only provides patients with an overview of places where they can find professional help, but also services that make their days with illness easier.
Every year, ATENA publishes a calendar, the entire proceeds from the sale of which go to help cancer patients. The theme of the calendar changes every year, but one thing remains – the models are always oncology patients.
