Over 200 women screened for breast cancer in Sint Maarten
A record-breaking 206 women were screened for breast cancer by St Maarten Medical Center’s (SMMC) medical specialists on October 23 as the Center resumed its much-anticipated annual free clinical breast exams.
Due to many pre-registrations, Medical Specialists and Nurses from SMMC’s Departments including General Surgery, Gynecology, Cardiology, Radiology, Internal Medicine, the Emergency Room, and Urology volunteered their time to assist with the carrying out of the exams.
“We host these events annually as our way to give back to the community by providing men and women with the opportunity to be clinically screened for breast and prostate cancer, free of charge.
This year’s turn-out was the biggest ever in our history of hosting this event as Medical Specialists screened 206 women from all departments, assisted by student Doctors of the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC)”, said SMMC’s Communications Officer and event organizer Shari de Riggs.
De Riggs continued by saying: “It’s incredibly encouraging to see all of the women come out and be excited to get checked. For many attendees, this event is something they look forward to every year as an outing with their friends or relatives. For others, it’s an opportunity to receive vital healthcare without having to worry about the cost.
This year we also partnered with the Foundations to cover the cost of up to 100 mammograms for uninsured women.”
Meanwhile, the Positive and Elektralyets Foundations said they are also grateful to SMMC and its partners for offering free clinical breast examinations.
The Foundations’ presidents, Shelly Alphonso and Mercedes “Elektra” van der Waals-Wyatt said: “ It was spectacular to see that 206 women embraced the opportunity to get screened and the event was well organized. While the pandemic has challenged our resources, it has also dared us all to think outside the box. It has highlighted how important and fragile our health is if we do not take care of ourselves.
Many of us may have overlooked getting our annual physical because of the challenges associated with the pandemic. In contrast, some of us may have questioned why you should see your doctor for an annual physical exam if you are feeling generally healthy.
One good reason for checking in with your primary care physician is it can confirm that you have no underlying health risks that need attention. An exam may lead to an early-stage diagnosis of some kind, which means you could receive treatment sooner that could lead to better outcomes.”
October is breast cancer awareness month.
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