National Health Insurance Scheme to allow for access to mammograms needed
HEAD OF the mammography unit at the University Hospital of the West Indies and radiologist Dr Derria Cornwall believes that cost is a deterrent for some in seeking mammograms and other cancer treatments.
“The cost being a deterrent depends on your social circumstances and your economic circumstances because $1,000 could be a deterrent for somebody,” she explained.
“Something could be in place like a national health insurance scheme or something that would allow people to be able access it (mammograms), even if they don’t have a job,” she suggested.
Cornwall’s suggestion was supported by the country’s chief medical officer, Dr Winston De La Haye, who does not believe it would not be feasible to offer mammograms for free.
“A national health insurance service will be the way to go so that those who can pay, pay, and those who can’t, can be assisted,” he said.
Cancer survivor Janette Kaloo, who has a foundation for cancer patients, has found that some women simply do not do their mammograms because of a lack of funds.
“It’s either they can pay the money for the mammogram, but they don’t have the fare to get where they have to get the mammograms done,” she said.
“For example, I live in Treasure Beach. I would have to go to Mandeville, which is the nearest town. By the time you pay to go to Mandeville, it’s like half the amount of what you are going to pay for the mammogram,” she explained.
She has found, too, that some women are still fearful of getting this examination done and would, therefore, like to see more public-education campaigns encouraging women over 40 to do their annual mammograms.
“They worry about that 30-second pain, but to be honest with you, it is going to be worse than the 30-second pain. I would rather have that 30-second pain than actually have to go through the whole journey of knowing that I have some form of cancer and did not catch it early,” Kaloo said.
A national health insurance service would be the way to go.