As part of the national program for early breast cancer checks, 180,000 women older than 40 have been examined for free since October 2007, the Health Ministry declared.
Advisor to the Health Minister, Abeer al-Maghawry, said the program began with four mobile clinics providing digital mammograms, which then increased to 12 mobile clinics, in addition to other units across other governorates.
As of January 2017, the number of cases diagnosed with tumors is 2,993.
Women diagnosed with breast cancer were referred to Qasr al-Aini, Ain Shams University hospitals, National Cancer Institute (NCI) and tumor centers across other governorates.
The checkup and treatment is offered for free. All workers in the program are women, Maghawry said, adding that three ultrasound devices were obtained as a grant from the UN High Commission for Refugee Affairs.
Egypt is the first country in Africa and the Arab world to obtain such devices, she said, indicating the total costs of all the devices reach LE8 million.
Maghawry highlighted Egypt’s experience in the program during a conference held at the previous Arab Hospitals Federation, attended by Arab health ministers.
She also urged women above the age of 40 to visit the nearest checkup vehicles, citing some locations: next to the Finance Ministry, at Haram Hospital, at the Health Department in Borg al-Arab, at Luxor International Hospital, at Qosiya Hospital in Assiut, next to the National Council of Women in Banha city and at the main headquarters next to NCI.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
