Health & Fitness
A bowel cancer survivor, the mayor of Dunedin and Southern DHB’s commissioner are among those encouraging everyone who is eligible to participate in the National Bowel Screening Programme, launched for the Southern district this week.
Their voices joined those of Southern health staff, NGOs and community members in Dunedin and Invercargill this week who are celebrating the launch of the new district-wide screening programme that will save lives and prolong health for many people across Otago and Southland.
Ministry of Health National Bowel Screening Clinical Lead Dr Susan Parry, Southern DHB CEO, Chris Fleming, Southern DHB Bowel Screening Clinical Lead Dr Jason Hill and Commissioner Kathy Grant spoke at the launch events, which also included the opportunity to take a journey through an inflatable bowel!
Over the next two years over 51,000 people aged 60 – 74 years of age will be invited to participate in the programme, with the first invitation letters going out to the community this week.
I urge everyone eligible to take the test.” Speaking about the launch Commissioner Kathy Grant said, “This programme is an important one for our Southern communities, as it will save lives and support our families, whānau and communities to be healthy for longer.
We acknowledge the huge effort of all those involved across the health community to launch this programme and celebrate the value it brings to our wider community.” Ken Bowie, 69, from Invercargill was diagnosed with bowel cancer 18 years ago and is a supporter the new programme. He urges people to make sure that they complete the test kit when it arrives in the mail:
“You should do the screening test for your own peace of mind, and what’s more if you are wondering about something that feels a bit off, don’t just hang around, go and get it checked. I was told I had polyps for up to seven years before I was diagnosed. They would have likely been picked up by something such as the screening test, before they developed into a tumour.” Southern DHB, which has some of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the country, is the first DHB in the South Island to roll out the programme.
Over the next two years it is expected that over 100 cases of bowel cancer will be identified. People aged 60 – 74 years of age are being encouraged to ensure that their details are up to date with their GP, to ensure they are easily contactable through the mail. The programme is for people with no symptoms of bowel cancer. Anyone who has any concerns about their bowel health is advised to contact their GP.
https://youtu.be/-Tn9X3JsJrc