As we see another October draw to a close, we say good bye to another Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It seems the residents of the capital have certainly got behind the concept, attending walk-a-thons and supporting other charities that are busy raising money for breast cancer research.

But let’s take a quick moment to think about the real point of the awareness campaigns that have gained so much attention. The true message of the month is that early detection is the key to saving lives. With that mantra in mind – if that’s the concept we’re really rallying behind – shouldn’t that awareness go hand-in-hand with action? Shouldn’t we make it easy to get those all important mammograms?

The fact, though, is that getting a mammogram in this town can be hard work. Sure, there’s the National Screening Center for Women and Children (check out our review on page 30). Try going to another hospital or clinic, however, and they’re likely to tell you that unless you have symptoms or discomfort, that routine mammogram will cost you around AED 800. A woman who only wants to confirm that she’s in the clear has the choice of either exaggerating her symptoms or paying a lot of money. No wonder so many women don’t bother.

And it’s not just the routine checks that are difficult to arrange. We had one reader write in to tell us about an insurance carrier that would only cover her mammogram in one breast when she discovered a lump, and further informed this frightened lady that they would only cover the subsequent biopsy if the results indicated cancer.

Rather than simply asking for awareness, let’s find a way to make it easy for the women who need it to take action. Otherwise, the entire month of October is just a waste of good pink.

Laura Fulton