I have posted before about how information is important in our age and more specifically Kuwait, because we are living the largest Big Brother show ever, Kuwait Parliament is all about the show, best Live TV ever:P, it should even be used to generate advertising. Well maybe its closer to the Jerry Springer show too, anyway back to the point. See when our whole government and regulatory bodies move and strategise without the use of numbers, we are steering a ship blind folded, maybe Captain Jack Sparrow should be the on the wheel:P everybody in the newspaper shouts out something, once its Public Money, bad education system, bad health service, even if you have noticed CAN the cancer campaign, non of them have numbers attached to them. Numbers create a larger effect on people and the case presented, today in the newspaper Alrai stated that 1400 Kuwaitis are dying from cancer each year. This number is a scary one, yes! how about how many students are failing each year in Kuwaiti High schools, or the average that are below an average grade?or how many accidents we have from speeding and compared to past years? if you can read between the lines you can notice a blame issue pops out. This is why we do not use numbers in this country, because certain people get blamed! Numbers never lie but people do! Instead of the donation campaigns from CAN, they should explain to women that are over the age of 28 shouls go for a check up every six months can lower the risk of cancer by such and such. If i told you that salmiyah alone has about 350 restaurants, what would you think? a long time ago i heard that two of three Kuwaitis will end up with heart problems or become diabetic, and that was about 5 years ago. Our system it self does not support numbers nor statistics and does not want to consider it. Try using numbers in your everyday life and compare it with your past comparison and see how it makes a difference, or clarify misinterpreted decision. Â
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June 25th, 2007 at 2:04 pm
I think I have already commited on the number issue in a similar earlier post. But in regards to cancer in woman, and i think you mean breast cancer or maybe ovarian; Women should not check every six months at the age of 28. The disadvantages far outwight the advantages because of the very young age. The tests are expensive and alot of money will be wasted, also physical harm and uneccessary stress to the youn subjects with no disease, as breast cancer is not common or even rare at this age. The perfect age is between 40 to 65, and some say its 50. One of the most important guidelines before starting a screening test, is that this screening test must be coast-effective or feasible.
June 26th, 2007 at 8:48 am
Hasan.B: In Kuwait, what are the places that check for cancer cells, and how expensive?
June 26th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Good question, but I honestly do not know, but i will ask and get back to you in few days, probably this weekend, if you are really interested.
June 27th, 2007 at 8:24 pm
That would be great thanks
June 30th, 2007 at 2:14 am
Ok, so i tried to get some information regarding checking for cancer, breast and ovarian in particular. What i was told by a very good and known doctor in kuwait is that breast cancer is becoming increasingly common, and that was the reason behind the CAN campain, which is an educational campain to increase awareness in the country and not a screening test. A screening test is defined as: “a public health service in which members of a defined population, who do not necessarily perceive they are at risk of, or are already affected by a disease or its complications, are asked a question or offered a test, to identify those individuals who are more likely to be helped than harmed by further tests or treatment to reduce the risk of a disease or its complications.”
The doctor told me that a screening program is crucially needed in kuwait, and one of the goals of starting this campian is to pressure the government to establish one very soon. Now, any patient that wants to check for cancer can do so at most hospitals in kuwait and for free!(Ofcourse they are not free in private hospitals, i think each test coasts about 98KD) However cancer treatment is limited to some hospitals, or maybe even one(hussain maki jumah)! Although as i mentioned earlier, tests (ie. mammograms) are free, they coast the governemt a vast amount of money, i am not sure how much exactly. That is ONE of the reasons why only women 40 years or older are advised to check for breast cancer regularly, women with high risk such as family history are advised to check at a younger age. In regards to younger women, they are all advied to perform self-testing after each menstrual cycle, to check for any mass or lumps, which can be provided in leaflets given out by CAN, or by a simple research on the internet. For more information regarding screeing tests for cancer: http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/breastscreen/index.html
I hope what i wrote was of some use, i know i did not answer your questions exactly, but i tried my best.