Dubai-based Medeor 24x7 Hospital, a part of the VPS Healthcare conglomerate, is offering free mammogram checkups from May 10 to 16 at its premises, to encourage people to be more proactive about their health and also to increase awareness.

The hospital mammogram unit has been fully equipped with a reception area, a private waiting area, two changing rooms and a screening room.

It will be parked outside the hospital in Bur Dubai for the community to avail of the free cancer detecting facilities.

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UAE, with the number of sufferers increasing by 20 percent since 2009, according to figures released by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

Also numbers released by the medical institutions under the DHA show that the average age of women who are detected with breast cancer in the UAE is 10 years younger than the average age of sufferers in US and Europe.

The DHA study similarly revealed that a good number of those patients are below the age of 40 and have a positive family history of cancer.
Furthermore, the majority of cancers were discovered in the second stage and 30 percent were discovered in the third stage of the disease.

Dr Shiva Harikrishnan said: “If cancers are detected in the third stage chances of survival are bleak at a mere 57 per cent. Cancers detected in the second stage have an 86 per cent survival rate. Whereas cancers detected at stage 1 have an almost 100 per cent survival rate.”

Since the introduction of the Mobile Mammography Unit in 2010, the initiative by the VPS Healthcare conglomerate has worked with organisations such as Daman Insurance, Etihad Airways, Al Hilal Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Adnec, British Embassy in the UAE and Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority among others in promoting the early detection of Breast Cancer.

Dr Shajir Gaffar, chief executive officer, said: “Giving back to the community is an integral part of the social fabric of the UAE and Medeor 24x7 Hospital. The Mobile Mammogram Unit is an extension of this belief and is part of our work in promoting the UAE’s Rulers vision of a healthy population.” - TradeArabia News Service