#Health #Camper
the ‘Health Camper’ is about to arrive in Pisa: on Saturday 4 May in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II citizens will find a small center on wheels to carry out free health tests diabetes prevention, which is combined with an awareness campaign for a correct lifestyle and healthy eating. The health prevention project organized by the Lions Club Pisa Host and the Lions Pisa Certosa, with the patronage of the Municipality of Pisa, is called ‘Diabetes takes to the streets’. A whole day, from 9am to 6.30pm, in which citizens will also be able to undergo an initial risk assessment of melanoma and receive valuable information on the diet to follow and appropriate lifestyles to prevent these diseases.
The initiative was presented at a press conference at Palazzo Gambacorti on 30 April with initial greetings from the councilor for social policies of the Municipality of Pisa, Giovanna Bonanno, who recalled how it is “important and necessary to work together between institutions, clubs and associations for a common and primary good such as the health of our citizens. So thanks to all those involved in the initiative for their work and commitment on a daily basis in the area”.
Dr. Adriana Galazzo, President of the Pisa Certosa Lions Club, explained the purpose of this initiative in the spirit of the club she presides over: “Our motto is ‘We serve’ so, when there is a need, we take to the field to serve, precisely , the community. In this case we do it because in recent years cases of both diabetes and melanoma have increased, so we felt it was important to give this free service to citizens – Galazzo specifies – have set up this camper for screening of diabetes; we in Pisa then decided to combine the test for melanoma since the summer season is now near, and with it, skin care will be important, especially for young people. Just as prevention against diabetes is fundamental, a silent disease which, when it finally manifests itself, means that it has already caused damage to the person.”
“In collaboration with the International Diabetes Federation, the commitment of the Italian Lions is aimed at raising awareness and health education, fundamental elements for preparing for an early diagnosis of the disease and promoting a culture of prevention. I am therefore satisfied with initiatives such as the ‘Health camper’ first of all as a doctor – declares Giuseppe Garcea, President of the Pisa Host Lions Club, who also provides an overview of the diseases for which tests will be carried out – diabetes can now be defined as global epidemic, which affects an ever-increasing number of men, women and children around the world. In industrialized countries it is the leading cause of death, or in any case the leading cause of incidence of cardiovascular diseases with consequences at an organic level which can affect many functions of the human body: heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, nervous system and, in in severe cases, it can even lead to the amputation of limbs at a peripheral level, in particular the foot”. As regards melanoma, the doctor explained how this is “one of the most aggressive tumors and for which there are no effective therapies yet certain, despite the fact that molecular engineering is making great strides to open new horizons in the therapeutic field”.
The logistical contribution of the Misericordia di Pisa is important, which has been collaborating with the Lions for years for the ‘Health Camper’: “I thank General Valtere Amadio of the Lions here for being an important point of contact and the Club for donating the camper to the Federation of Tuscan Misericordie – declares the extraordinary commissioner of the Misericordia of Pisa Sandra Capuzzi – thanks also to the councilor Giovanna Bonanno for the sensitivity shown towards this initiative which was born at a regional level, then articulated at a territorial level in prevention days like that on Saturday 4. We collaborate with great conviction both from a post-Covid perspective which is still affected by serious delays in prevention plans for citizens, and to give an important opportunity to take care of their health even to people who would not have sufficient financial availability to start doing it. Although these are not in-depth tests, they are still opportunities to find any warning signs and obtain useful information for adopting healthy lifestyles”.
How the free ‘Health Camper’ screenings work
Equipped vehicles are expected to arrive and park in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II at 8am on Saturday 4 May, in particular the camper managed by Misericordia and the equipped vehicle provided by the Pisa Red Cross, for screening and examinations. blood tests for the assessment of pathologies related to diabetes and melanoma. Access points will be set up, with the presence of healthcare personnel and volunteers from the Pisa Host and Pisa Certosa Lions Clubs, as well as volunteers from the Misericordia di Pisa, with the aim of acquiring personal data necessary for preventive medical visits (with the issuing of authorization to processing of sensitive personal data).
At 9 am the operations of the activities will begin with specialist doctors and volunteer healthcare personnel for the benefit of the citizens present, who will spontaneously want to undergo the free tests, which will be followed immediately by the release of the relevant diagnoses.
“As regards diabetes screening – explains Dr. Garcea – we will apply a scientifically reliable method, validated at an international level and contained in a 2003 scientific publication, to evaluate the risk of onset of diabetes over the next ten years type 2, which can begin around the age of 40. The method consists of a test called ‘Findrisc’: the subject will be given a questionnaire with eight key questions. The questions have a variable score based on the answer provided: if the non-diabetic subject obtains a total score of at least 10-12 we can scientifically indicate a risk of onset, which increases as the calculated score increases. In this way we can provide the best indications and behaviors to include in your daily lifestyle to combat this risk.”
For melanoma screening, the procedure instead involves collaboration with the Association Against Melanoma (ACM): the visits will be carried out by a doctor and volunteers present. “In this case it will not be possible to carry out complete visits and mole mapping: the activity will focus on identifying subjects at risk of melanoma to direct them towards a subsequent more precise diagnosis”, states President Galazzo.
The examination and diagnostic screening of citizens is expected to end at 6.30 pm. It will then be the responsibility of the associations to inform the relevant healthcare facilities (Department of Diabetology and healthcare facilities for the assessment of melanoma) of the influx of users to the activity carried out by the volunteer doctors.
