The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

THIRTY women from East Grand Bahama were flown to Nassau to receive free mammogram screenings at Doctors Hospital on Friday.

The group left around 7am on Western Air and returned to Freeport later in the evening with their results.

This was made possible thanks to an initiative launched over a week ago by the Free National Movement East Grand Bahama Constituency Association, in partnership with Doctors Hospital and Mammogram Access Programme (MAP).

Kwasi Thompson, MP for East Grand Bahama, was at the airport to see the group off.

The second and third groups travelled to Nassau on Saturday and Sunday. More than 100 women in the East Grand Bahama constituency signed up for the free screening.

Bahamian entertainer Jeranique Forbes recently discovered a lump in her breast and was excited about getting screened.

“It is very timely since I just recently found a lump,” she said. “So, I am grateful to the persons that initiated this, and the persons responsible for us being able to do it.”

Jeranique, who sings the song, ‘Who Mad Stay Mad,’ said having a mammogram was not an annual thing for her.

“To be honest, I am not one that do it every year; I would do it every other year. But I feel once you get it done, if there is something going on, you have a chance to catch it early and be able to deal with it right away.”

Shavonne Adderley- Forbes, along with her two sisters, also got their mammograms done.

“I am very appreciative of this opportunity to check my health. I think it is very important because it could save a lot of lives,” she said.

Nikita Adderley said: “I feel great, and I really wanted to do this because I felt something and wanted to get it checked. I appreciate everything that they are doing for us.”

Dennis Deveaux, chief financial officer at Doctors Hospital, was also in attendance and said they are committed to standing in the gap.

“We recognise the importance of diagnostics, particularly, for women who are worried about the risk of breast cancer, and we sought to provide access to mammography service, which is a critical diagnostic tool in the detection for the risk of breast cancer, and we sought to do that at no cost to more than 100 residents of Grand Bahama,” he said.

“Although we are going to start a full hospital here in the Fall of next year, until we do that those services are not readily available on the island.”

In addition to transporting the large contingent over to Nassau, Doctors Hospital has also arranged for transport from the airport to the hospital so the women could have their mammograms done, and then be brought back home before the day ends.

Mr Thompson thanked the hospital for coming onboard as the major sponsor for the initiative, and Nikeia Watson, of MAP in Grand Bahama.

“We hope in some small way this will save lives,” Mr Thompson said.