Free Cancer screening tomorrow

By Delicia Bailey

Guyanese, particularly those in the capital can make use of a free cancer-screening clinic being hosted at the Ram & Mc Rae Accounting Firm building in Waterloo Street on Saturday (January 28, 2017).

The clinic is being hosted by a local, non-governmental organisation (NGO), Giving Hope Foundation with support from their partners.

Some of the services being provided on site include clinical breast examination, Pap smear and VIA (Visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid), eye testing, prostate checks, blood sugar and pressure testing. The team is headed by Dr Latoya Gooding, a medical officer attached to the Oncology Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital.

According to Dr Gooding, who is also the President and Founder of the Giving Hope Foundation, the aim is to have routine screening so that there can be early detection. To this end, she says there will be screening on the last Saturday of every month and quarterly clinics in some hinterland regions.

“We have a lot of persons being diagnosed with cancer at the late stages so our aim is to promote early detection so that we can catch persons in early stages and have them being routinely screened, counselling,” she said.

Apart from screening, Giving Hope is also offering counsel for cancer survivors and their families, persons with mental health problems or those who may have suicidal thoughts or just need to talk with someone confidential.

This part of the operation is being guided by a professional Social Worker, Ms Renetta Toolsiram, the Director of Counseling at the Foundation. It is the plan of the Foundation to counsel on a more permanent basis and not just at the monthly clinics.

Ms Toolsiram says “the service will be available at the screening but the Giving Hope Foundation is also setting up an office space where this service will be too.”

Tomorrow’s clinic begins at 09:00 hours and ends at 14:00 hours.