In October, Bathurst Health Service staff will swap their usual scrubs for bright pink ones, as part of the Bathurst Paint It PINK initiative to raise awareness about breast cancer.
This is the first year the hospital will officially take part in the campaign and will host the Bathurst Paint It PINK launch event at the hospital on Tuesday.
Minister for Regional Health Ryan Park said it is great to see Bathurst Health Service staff supporting the important community event.
“Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, with one in every seven women diagnosed in their lifetime” Mr Park said.
“Sadly, breast cancer is expected to take the lives of close to 1,000 women in NSW this year. Each life lost is someone’s nana, mum, wife, sister, or cousin.
“Just last month, BreastScreen NSW’s launched a new campaign urging women to book in for a regular mammogram.”
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said this initiative was another great way to remind women to book in for a mammogram.
“It can be all too easy to put something like a mammogram off, especially when we lead such busy lives. But it only takes 20 minutes and it could save your life,” Ms Harrison said.
“Women often put others first, but in this instance, putting yourself first is vitally important, because if detected early, breast cancer can be successfully treated.”
Labor Spokesperson for Bathurst Stephen Lawrence said drawing attention to this very common cancer was vitally important for our regional communities.
“Events and campaigns like this are so important because breast cancer affects so many people across our state,” Mr Lawrence said.
“This event is a really wonderful opportunity to raise awareness in our community about breast cancer prevention and support for our regional women.”
Bathurst Health Service General Manager Jo Holden said the town’s annual campaign has a significant impact on the local community and she is proud of the passion the hospital staff show in supporting the important cause.
“So many people, including me, have been touched by breast cancer in their lives and of course we see and treat a lot of women here too. All our staff are a part of this community and supporting our community’s health needs is something we take incredibly seriously,” Ms Holden said.
“Following last year’s campaign, we noticed heightened awareness and the breast screening service saw a sizeable increase in the number of women attending for routine screening mammograms. I hope we have the same impact, if not bigger, this year.”
For more information and to make an appointment with BreastScreen NSW, call 13 20 50 from anywhere in Australia or book online.
If you need help from a translator to book a screening appointment, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 13 14 50. To watch the new campaign commercial and for more information, visit BreastScreen NSW.