A free health check that takes just ten minutes could catch a serious condition before it becomes an emergency, when the Men’s Health Education Rotary Van visits Uralla on Wednesday, 2 September.
The custom built van, known as mherv, will be set up at Fibonnaci Park, on the corner of Bridge and Salisbury streets, from 9.30am to 4.15pm. A registered nurse on board will check blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, three simple tests that can catch high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol before they cause bigger problems.
Although the service is aimed at men, who are typically not good at caring for their own health, it is open to everyone.
The van is a regional project made possible by fundraising, generous sponsorship and time freely given by hundreds of Rotary volunteers. It travels across New South Wales offering free health screenings to regional and rural men, who are often in the dark about the state of their own health.
For many men, there is no culture of seeing a doctor for a regular check-up. Some are reluctant to do so in case they are told something they would rather not hear.
As a result, conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high blood sugar, which often have little or no apparent symptoms, can build up over time and lead to sudden unexpected death or long-term incapacity.
A ten minute check at the van could show there is nothing to worry about. Or it could show that immediate medical attention is needed, treatment that could bring the condition under control and prevent something far worse.
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