DOHA: ‘Screen For Life’, Qatar’s National Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening program, has engaged the corporate community once again with an awareness drive aimed at employees of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC).
The employees were invited to attend cancer awareness lecture hosted at the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) in Al Bidda Tower premises. The team from ‘Screen For Life’ gave presentations on both breast and bowel cancer and reinforced the program’s message of the importance of screening in the early detection of cancer.
The lectures also guided attendees through measures they can implement to help reduce the risk of cancer such as regular exercise, healthy lifestyle and taking a screening appointment for people within the target age bracket. Women aged between 45 and 69 are encouraged to book a breast cancer screening appointment, while men and women aged 50 and 74 are advised to book a bowel cancer screening appointment.
Guest of honour Chef Aisha Al Tamimi, a breast cancer survivor engaged with the attendees. Chef Aisha shared the journey of her fight against cancer, from being diagnosed with the disease through to beating it. She declared winning the battle over cancer because she underwent screening, which helped catch the disease in the early stages. Chef Aisha also stressed on the importance of being pro active and take lead one’s health by undergoing screening.
The ‘Screen For Life’ mobile screening unit was present onsite and the attendees of the awareness drive were invited to visit it where a mammogram technologist explained about the screening process, highlighting on the unit’s special features that make the screening fast, easy and done under high level of privacy.
At the same time, a team of the Program was present at the entrance to provide people with information about the tests, explain the bowel cancer screening test using the screening kit (FIT), and invite people to register for screening.
“’Screen For Life’ aims to reach as many people as possible and this was another great outreach activity for us to spread the program’s message. The level of engagement was high, which is credit to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy that participated and allowed their staff time out of the office to attend our lectures,’’ said Dr Shaikha Abu Shaikha, Cancer Program Manager, PHCC.
