Wednesday, 8 March 2023

 Renee HEATH (Eastern Victoria) (13:01): (69) Last year my friend Sarah was diagnosed with breast cancer. As a business owner and a mother of two the journey has been ongoing and incredibly hard. She is fortunate that she found it relatively early. After a mammogram and an ultrasound, she was diagnosed within a week but did not know the type of cancer she had or the prognosis due to the out-of-control waitlist in Victoria, something the government desperately needs to address. Women living in regional areas are at greater risk because we do not have the same access to services that city dwellers do. An ultrasound and a mammogram cost around $450. Because she is under 40 she was not eligible for a free mammogram, yet she had cancer. Access to screening should be based on need, not age. Therefore my question for the Minister for Health is: can mammograms be made available free for women of any age in the eastern region if deemed appropriate by their GP? This simple change would save lives.