A groundbreaking initiative to receive free melanoma screenings has been rolled out to the Goulburn Valley this week.
In partnership with Primary Care Connect and MoleMap melanographers, Australian Skin Cancer Foundation’s first National Skin Check Truck has hit the road, stopping at Cobram, Nathalia, Nagambie, Tatura and Dookie.
Australian Skin Cancer Foundation chief executive Jay Allen OAM highlighted the importance of providing a service like this to the nation’s regional and remote communities.
“There’s a shortage of skin clinics in Australia, and many people have been held up on a waiting list... in Shepparton alone, I believe there’s a wait of six to eight months,” he said.
“Each day, we’ve arrived at 7am for an 8am start, and there’s already people lined up, and we’re finding that in all rural and remote communities we visit.
“It shows there’s such a need to make skin checks more accessible.”
According to the foundation, one person is diagnosed with melanoma in Australia every 30 minutes, and one person sadly passes away from melanoma every six hours.
As a melanoma survivor himself, Mr Allen knows first-hand the importance of receiving regular check-ups, as do many others.
“One guy came yesterday (Tuesday, February 6) in Nathalia,” he said.
“He had melanoma taken off five years ago and thought ‘I should get checked again, may as well while they’re here’.
“We picked up a suspicious spot on his head and as a hands-on clinic, if we see something suspicious, we book them in to see a GP and follow up with them to see how they’re going after their appointment... he was very grateful.”
With only one self-funded truck on the road, the foundation is advocating for Federal Government support to pave the way for more vehicles across the country, replicating the same business model as BreastScreen’s mobile screening service.
On behalf of the organisation, Mr Allen is meeting with the Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler in Parliament House in Canberra next week to discuss funding for another life-saving truck.
“We’re looking forward to working with him to see what the next steps are,” he said.
“It costs the government millions of dollars through the health system when skin cancer patients are at stage four.
“The earlier it’s picked up, the more it can save the government a lot of money and, more importantly, save lives.”
The truck is open from 8am to 4pm on Thursday, February 8, at the corner of Casey and Hogan St in Tatura and on Friday, February 9, in Mary St, Dookie.
For more information about the mobile National Skin Check Truck and to sign up to receive news, insights and updates from the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation, visit https://www.australianskincancerfoundation.org/