For the first time in a long time, a recent story I reported on for the Canarsie Courier hit home in more ways than one.
A faithful advertiser, First MedCare Inc., is offering – with no
strings attached – free breast, cervical and colon cancer screenings for
those 40 and over who are uninsured, underinsured and even those who
are undocumented.
You would think hundreds are lining up or calling the facility to get
tested – the screenings are FREE and people usually don’t respond to
anything unless it’s for something free. But when I interviewed the
staff at First MedCare Inc., I was saddened to find out that, for
whatever reason, my fellow Canarsiens are not taking advantage of this important program.
When my father passed away last year of esophageal cancer and I
learned that my grandmother passed away of stomach cancer, I panicked –
and wished that I had health insurance to get screened for a variety of
cancers. I also overhear people in Canarsie speaking about an acquaintance or family member who has succumbed to cancer.
Yes, some Canarsiens
still seem to either fear finding out something may be wrong, they
simply don’t want to know, or there may be some religious reason for
choosing not to be screened. If you’re one of the many who refuse to
make an appointment – maybe because you “don’t have time” or you’re
going to leave it to fate and find out about your health when it’s too
late, you’re only slighting yourself and not thinking of the hundreds of
residents who fit the criteria and want to be screened, but they’re too
young.
While screening is highly recommended for those over 40 and 50
because of the increased health risk factors later in life, younger
people, such as myself, who are uninsured or underinsured, aren’t
typically eligible for the program. Fortunately, I was told that I am
eligible since cancer runs in my family and I was relieved to know that I
can make an appointment to get screened based on being a high-risk
case.
It was suggested by one of the First MedCare Inc. staff that a
program like this would probably flourish in another community. I
question why that is, if we’re an active community that can complain
about various quality of life issues – why aren’t we as equally
concerned about our own health and wellbeing?
Free screenings, which don’t seem to be highly attended, are also
offered year-round by elected officials. The survival of cancer
screening programs depends on Canarsiens’
participation. It just doesn’t seem logical that something good and
FREE is not being taken advantage of. It’s as simple as one visit and
can save your life.
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