The Public Health Bureau (PHB) of Hsinchu County Government has engaged in collaborating with the Hsinchu County Medical Association to promote the operation of cancer prevention. To put the idea into action, the marks of smile clinics were released and distributed to healthcare institutions at the end of 2013, thereby urging clinics in Hsinchu County to offer citizens friendly services of cancer screening. Any healthcare institutions with national health insurance contracts in the County will be awarded a mark of smile clinics if they are willing to strengthen the services of cancer prevention. This year, a total of 45 western medical clinics have been honored with marks of smile clinics up to now. At the Annual General Meeting of Hsinchu County Medical Association on Feb. 16, certificates of appreciation were delivered by Magistrate Chiu Ching-Chun to the premium healthcare institutions which kept pushing forward the cancer prevention, and the awarding ceremony of smile clinics was then launched.
Since the causative factors of cancers are complex, the cancer screening becomes rather essential, Magistrate Chiu pointed out. Chiu added that cancers can be diagnosed and treated in the early stage if patients undergo few simple procedures of cancer screening, thus ensuring the national health and lowering the expenditure on resources of national health insurance.
The introduction of smile clinics marks aims at expanding the services of cancer screening in Hsinchu County and encouraging citizens to accept the cancer screening, claimed the PHB. The implementation of this program has received great echoes and recognition among grassroots doctors, and the distribution of the marks of smile clinics for 2014 has ended thanks to local medical institution’s enthusiastic participation, added the PHB. The PHB also expressed its gratitude to the Hsinchu County Medical Association and those healthcare institutions for their collaboration to carry out the cancer screening program.
To accommodate the program of cancer prevention proposed by the Health Promotion Administration of Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Hsinchu County government spared no effort to promote and expedite the giveaway of smile clinic marks in the County. This special mark can provide citizens with useful hints, reminding them of 4 types of cancer screening services offered by the clinic with marks: Oral Cancer, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer, and Colorectal Cancer. It is expected that through the promotion by the County government, more and more people will start to recognize the marks, thus making them aware of their health conditions and the importance of regular check-ups. In addition, through friendly physicals and consultation, the health of their family can be ensured as well.
Source: Public Health Bureau of Hsinchu County Government