TO close Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Petrojam, Jamaica’s sole oil refinery and multi-energy innovator, staged a ‘Boss Man Ting’ community screening activity in nearby Greenwich Town, St Andrew. Supported by the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s ‘Know Your Numbers’ campaign, the life-saving initiative was focused primarily on encouraging early detection and promoting men’s health.

As a bonus, other members of the community were invited to come to the Greenwich Town Community and Justice Centre to conduct blood pressure checks, blood glucose tests, and to examine their body mass index. Almost 70 people were seen by a team of doctors, nurses, and community health aides.

“We are encouraged by the community’s response as we continue to make progress with getting men to ‘boss up’ and get checked,” occupational health nurse for Petrojam, Monique Sinclair, declared in announcing the success of the cancer screening aspect of the event, which saw 21 men taking PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests.

The focus on early identification and preventive measures gave community members equitable access to free health-care services, courtesy of the medical team that was on hand to assist with other health concerns.