Justyne Caruana

Although many women are becoming conscious of the need of frequent tests there are a lot of others that are not doing so with the consequence that the disease is diagnosed when it is in a very advanced stage and unfortunately too late. Therefore it is important that screening is done regularly and precisely this is the reason for the campaign.

However, in spite of all the campaigns that take place and the work and effort of various people are useless if we do not have an adequate service in that women can test themselves regularly. Although these facilities exist in private hospitals at a reasonable price so that more women do these tests, in the state hospitals the situation is far from adequate. To be able to undertake a breast test at Mater Dei you have to wait for at least a year, while at the Gozo General Hospital these services do not exist although these have been promised for a number of years.

In the meantime the need for the introduction of breast screening, as happens in the rest of Europe is felt. Although, just before the last elections this programme has been promised for propaganda reason, up to now the government has done nothing.

Labour is in solidarity and joins all the organisations in communicating the message to all the women to take care of their health, we encourage the government that now that the elections are over, it truly and genuinely invest in the introduction of a programme of breast screening as soon as possible so that every women in Gozo and Malta will have the possibility to take good care of their health and reduce the risk of diagnosing the disease too late.




Breast Screening: a Must
Maltastar (20-10-2008)
A very important campaign on the awareness of breast cancer is taking place this month. Many organisations in Malta are involving themselves in this campaign with the aim to create a conscience on this cruel disease. This was said in a press communiqué issued by Justyne Caruana, Labour’s main spokesperson for the family and equality, Monday. According to statistics one woman in twelve suffers from this disease in Malta, which is a very high rate of incidence when one considers our geographical and demographic size, which in any case is also high when it is compared with the mean rate of the rest of Europe.
Although many women are becoming conscious of the need of frequent tests there are a lot of others that are not doing so with the consequence that the disease is diagnosed when it is in a very advanced stage and unfortunately too late. Therefore it is important that screening is done regularly and precisely this is the reason for the campaign. However, in spite of all the campaigns that take place and the work and effort of various people are useless if we do not have an adequate service in that women can test themselves regularly. Although these facilities exist in private hospitals at a reasonable price so that more women do these tests, in the state hospitals the situation is far from adequate. To be able to undertake a breast test at Mater Dei you have to wait for at least a year, while at the Gozo General Hospital these services do not exist although these have been promised for a number of years. In the meantime the need for the introduction of breast screening, as happens in the rest of Europe is felt. Although, just before the last elections this programme has been promised for propaganda reason, up to now the government has done nothing. Labour is in solidarity and joins all the organisations in communicating the message to all the women to take care of their health, we encourage the government that now that the elections are over, it truly and genuinely invest in the introduction of a programme of breast screening as soon as possible so that every women in Gozo and Malta will have the possibility to take good care of their health and reduce the risk of diagnosing the disease too late.
© 2008 - Justyne Caruana