DOHA: As part of its continuous efforts to raise awareness the Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC) together with Al Hiba Group Qatar recently organised a lecture on Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening chaired by Sheikha Leena bint Nasser bin Khalid Al Thani, the Breast Cancer Awareness Program Ambassador. Al Hiba Group Qatar is under the umbrella of Nasser Bin Khalid Al Thani Charity.
The lecture held at Al Hiba Group, and attended by 75 women as part of PHCC’s continuous one-to-one series. The lecture was an open forum and discuss the importance of breast screening for women 45 years and above and bowel screening for women 50 and above, the risks and symptoms as well as preventative measures.
Dr Shaikha Abu Shaikha, Manager Cancer Program Division at PHCC, said, “We are particularly delighted to team up with Al Hiba Group who is dedicated to humanitarian causes, including cancer and other diseases, irrespective of nationality or beliefs. Their achievements in the cause of health issues have been remarkable.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank PHCC again for appointing me as their programme ambassador and for the honour of hosting this important lecture,” said Sheikha Leena.
One of the highlights of the event was a testimonial from Chef Aisha Al Tamimi, a breast cancer surviver who represented a real-life case study. In her testimony the celebrated chef, said: “From my experience as a former breast cancer patient I have learned some important lessons and now have a deeper understanding of the value and importance of breast cancer screening. Making the decision to undergo early medical tests enabled my early detection and consequently successful treatment.”
She went on to say “I urge all ladies from the age of 45 to undergo breast cancer screening regularly. There is nothing to fear from mammography because knowing that you have potentially malignant tumours at an early stage, while it is still treatable and curable, is a lot better than learning about it when it is fatal.”
PHCC’s ‘Screen for Life’ programme works in association with Qatar’s National Cancer Program in accordance with the country’s National Health Strategy 2011-2016. The core objective of ‘Screen for Life’ is to promote education, awareness and early detection by encouraging women aged 45 years or older with no symptoms to receive breast cancer screening and 50 years or older to undergo bowel cancer screening.
The Peninsula
