By Nur Ashikin Louis
LUNDU, Jan 29: Members of the public can walk into any nearby Nur Sejahtera Clinic to undergo affordable screenings for breast and cervical cancer.
Nur Sejahtera Clinic has three branches in Sarawak under the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), namely in Kuching, Sibu, and Miri.
Federal Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Dato Sri Nancy Shukri said the recently approved Mini Budget 2023 had allocated RM5.75 million to implement mammogram and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) DNA tests.
“LPPKN has the expertise and facilities to conduct HPV DNA tests to detect cervical cancer and mammogram test to detect breast cancer.
“The Ministry through LPPKN also provides targeted subsidies for these two tests for those who qualify, especially the B40 group,” she said when officiating at the Women Reproductive Cancer Awareness Campaign (WCaRe) 2023 at Dewan Mahligai Lundu here today.
She further said the subsidies in the form of vouchers worth RM150 for mammogram tests and RM500 for HPV DNA tests would be given to those eligible.
Additionally, she mentioned that the WCaRe campaign would be extended to rural areas by mobile buses.
“The implementation of the WCaRe campaign through the provision of mammogram and HPV DNA tests will also continue throughout the year,” she added.
In Malaysia, breast cancer is the main cancer that attacks and causes death among women, with a record of 34.1 per cent or equivalent to 34.1 cases per 100,000 female population.
LPPKN has implemented mammogram tests since 2007. As of last year, LPPKN has performed a total of 463,417 mammogram tests on qualified women.
Of the total, 70,808 women in Sarawak have undergone mammogram tests through LPPKN, where 7,512 cases have been categorised under further investigation to carry out follow-up examinations, and a total of 80 cases have been confirmed positive for breast cancer.
Earlier, Nancy also visited a respondent household of the Family Wellbeing Index (IKK) at Kampung Sileng Melayu in Lundu, joining a survey to get in-depth exposure to the family’s well-being from an economic and social perspective.
Fisherman Ismail Hamdan’s family is one of the 12 respondents in Lundu for the IKK Report 2022. The total of IKK respondents in Sarawak is 480.
Also present were Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) chief secretary Dr Maziah Che Yusoff; LPPKN director-general Abdul Shukur Abdullah; Kuching Resident Fathi Hambali; Lundu District Officer Gustian Durani and Pemanca Benjamin Gersit Jais. — DayakDaily
