FOBT is free for anyone above 45 years old

What is FOBT? It stands for faecal occult blood test. It tests if there is any non-visible (occult)blood in your stools. It there is blood, it is possible that you may have colorectal cancer. This disease is the number one killer in Singapore and not heart disease as most people assume. The government strongly recommend anyone who is above 45 years old to go for their annual Colorectal Cancer screening using the FOBT kits which are issued free-of-charge for those above 45 years old. Apparently, most Singaporeans are not aware of this as they do not care much for their health. They only know how to work hard and earn money, thereby neglecting their health.

I came to know about this test because my doctor-in-training sister had told us about it. It was during one of her public health screening exercises that she participated that she collected the FOBT kits for my parents to test. Thank goodness my father was cleared but not my mother' s. She had to go for colonoscopy. It is a procedure where the doctor examines the inside of your bowel using an instrument called a colonscope. During the operation, the doctor found out that there is a polyp( growth) in her large intestine. It was removed on the spot and sent for further test. Luckily it was benign and not cancerous. If such polyps are not removed, they may turn cancerous over time. By the way, my mother did her colonoscopy at NUH and the day operation cost only about $500 and can be fully paid by medisave. After this, my mother collected more free FOBT kits for my grandparents and my uncles and aunts to test.

Luckily for free FOBT kits that my mother had found out early that she had a polyp in her intestine. I greatly encourage you to tell your parents to go for this test.Adults above 45 years old are more susceptible to such risk.

The free FOBT kits are available at the Singapore Cancer Society at the following two addresses: (1)15 Enggor Street
# 04-01 to 04 Realty Centre
Singapore 079716
(2) Blk 22 Boon Keng Road
#01-11 Singapore 330022

I feel that health is the most important. Your health should be the first priority. If you are not healthy, you are not able to do anything well. Your mood will be affected and your work efficiency will be lower . We should always go for such health test to check that we are always in tip top condition . We must also encourage our loved ones to go for such tests. It is to ensure that our loved ones are healthy. Who knows, your loved ones' lives may be at risk. You may be the only one that can save their lives. So encourage others to go for health tests often especially the elderly.