Doha, Qatar – 17 April, 2016: PHCC announces the opening of the second dedicated Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Centre which marks a significant milestone in PHCC’s efforts at extending its network to take cancer screening to a wider population. The new dedicated screening suite is located in the Leabaib Health Centre. This is the second location of its kind to open in 3 months and will be followed by the much awaited Mobile Unit for breast screening.
“The launch of the new screening suite is evidence of our endeavors to take cancer detection facilities to communities across the length and breadth of Qatar. More than a move to offer convenience, our goal is to deliver the very best service for cancer screening to a larger population,” said Mariam Ali Abdulmalik, M.D., Managing Director of PHCC.
“Healthy citizens play an important part in the growth and development of a country and community-based care serves as a foundation for national awareness. The Screening Centres are a vital element of the ‘Screen for Life’ program. Patients can rest assured that they are in the hands of skilled professionals and world-class equipment,” Dr. Mariam added.
Designed to resemble a spa, the Screening Suite features two private and comfortable Mammography rooms and four bowel consultation rooms, and will be subject to expansion on a later stage. Patients are requested to call the dedicated number 800 1112 to book appointments in advance to avoid waiting times. They are required to arrive 30 minutes ahead of their appointment. Highly trained and qualified English- and Arabic-speaking staff and medical professionals will be on hand to receive cancer screening booking requests, respond to enquiries from the public on cancer screening and take the initiative to reach out to individuals.
Upon patient arrival, trained nurses will be on hand to providing relevant information and respond to all questions regarding the examination process. The centre is also manned by technicians and radiologists who are adept at operating cutting-edge equipment as well as radiologists who are capable of undertaking the most accurate reading of images.
The core objective of ‘Screen for Life’ is to save precious lives by encouraging women aged 45 years or older with no symptoms to receive breast cancer screening through mammography. The campaign also calls on both men and women aged 50 years or older with no symptoms to receive bowel cancer screening through FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test). The Ministry of Public Health recommends breast cancer screening every three years and bowel cancer screening every year. Both Mammogram and FIT are generally considered safe, quick and relatively painless.
