KUCHING: The Society for Cancer Advocacy and Awareness Kuching (SCAN) joined forces with the Sarawak Breast Cancer Support Group (SBCSG) and the Sarawak Heart Foundation (SHF) to conduct a Breast Cancer and Health Screening outreach programme in remote locations across the state.
Their recent visit to Ba’Kelalan for the second annual Pesta Adan was a huge success with almost 100 residents coming to the Community Hall in Buduk Nur to check their health status.
Five nurses from the Sarawak Heart Centre and two from Ba’Kelalan health clinic facilitated the health screening, examining residents for glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure and BMI levels.
Moreover, five medical doctors including the former state director of health Datuk Dr Zulkifli Jantan were also present to give personalised diagnoses.
“But that wasn’t all; the women also underwent a breast screening examination and abnormalities using a hand-held ultrasound machine donated by the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Two breast surgeons from the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) Breast Clinic, Dr Adibah Ali and Dr Sharifah Ashrina Wan Ali provided a breast cancer awareness talk and conducted screening for breast lumps,” it said in a press statement yesterday.
At the same time, SCAN also organised a Cancer Survivor during the event in which Datin Dayang Mariani Abang Zain spoke with the women about her journey as a breast cancer survivor.
Dayang Mariani who is the SCAN advisor managed to move the audience with her presentation as she was able to relate her story to the women who attended the session.
“During the event, the team used a mannequin to demonstrate how breast examination can be conducted on a once-a-month basis and distributed translated pamphlets from Know Your Lemons.
“Know Your Lemons is a non-government cancer organisation based in the United States to help women recognise symptoms and understand when to come for proper examination,” it said.
It added that the outreach programme was incredibly successful with 84 persons screened and 59 women examined for breast lumps.
“SCAN and SBCSG also conducted talks with the women to raise awareness about the importance of self-examination, giving invaluable advice and support to the community,” it said.
