Huge turnout for prostate cancer screening
JAMAICAN men came out in their numbers to support and get tested for prostate cancer at this year’s staging of the Jamaica Cancer Society’s Prostate Cancer Awareness day, which was celebrated yesterday.
The day’s activities commenced at 8:00 am and the first 100 men who arrived at the Cancer Society’s Lady Musgrave Road location received free screening, while the others paid a subsidised cost of $2,500 to access services for the day.
“I am 88 (years old) and I do two tests already, so I don’t really have nuh fear because this is something weh it will help me to understand whether the prostrate enlarged or if it normal so I don’t have nuh fear,” said patron Junior Brown who travelled from Nine Miles in Bull Bay.
Brown said he was also taking flyers back to his workplace to help encourage his younger colleagues to get tested.
First-timer Donald Morgan said he was not fearful and would also encourage his friends to get tested as health is very important.
“I heard them say every man over 50 supposed to try to get a check-up, I have no fear enuh because fear not going to help you and having fear only help to make it worse… you have to trust in Jehovah God and put Him first… I am not expecting anything, if the result is good or bad you have to live with it,” said 52-year-old Morgan.
“Yuh know say yuh ago face the needle and the anal part but a nuh nutten fi worry about …just come, it’s a good ting to find out and know where you stand, so just come and do it,” said 47-year-old Carl Brissett.
According to Executive Director of the Cancer Society Yulit Gordon, she and her colleagues were out yesterday as early as six in the morning to promote as well as encourage men to come in for screening.
“There are a lot of men out there today and we are really happy, but we don’t want after today everything stops, we don’t want that to stop, we want to see a steady support for the services,” Gordon said.
She added that the ideal number of men for the day the society hoped to see was 200. Gordon added that as this month is dedicated to prostate health, discounts will continue to be given throughout the month.
