Southern NSW Local Health District has welcomed Dr Michelle Tan to South East Regional Hospital. Michelle has recently taken up a role at the hospital and specialises in colorectal surgery. The media release from Southern NSW Local Health District offers that with colorectal surgery becoming more common in recent times. It adds "Michelle is proud of the work she does, which involves amongst other things, early detection of bowel cancer. Michelle trained in Sydney before moving to Wollongong to do her specialisation. She worked as a registrar at the old Bega Hospital four years ago and this gave her an appreciation of Valley life." “Being born and bred in Singapore then living in Sydney and Wollongong, I am used to crowds, the hustle and bustle of big cities and the transport problems,” Michelle said. “Moving to Bega has been a breath of fresh air for me. “I fell in love with not only the old hospital, but the people I worked with, which made the decision easy to move to Bega and I don’t plan on moving anytime soon,” Michelle noted. Michelle enjoys working with all the staff and what she calls the ‘family of surgeons’ at SERH. “It’s very important to be happy at work and working with people you like and admire,” Michelle said. “I am thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to help the patients in the LHD.” Michelle realises the distance patients travel to see her. In her own words, this makes her ‘feel very privileged and very humbled at the same time’. Staff and patients at South East Regional Hospital are indeed delighted to have Dr Michelle Tan on board.
Bowel cancer - a simple test could save your life
Are you or someone you love aged 50 or over? Then you or your loved one is at higher risk of bowel cancer. Tragically, bowel cancer claims the lives of 75 Australians every week. But it doesn’t have to. A simple home test could save your life. The current program is free to people turning 50, 54, 55, 58, 60, 64, 68, 70, 72 or 74 years of age. By 2020, all Australians aged 50 to 74 will be offered the test free every two years. If you are not currently eligible for the program, you can still be tested. Your GP can request an FOBT kit. Most pathology practices bulk bill for the test. The faecal occult blood test (FOBT) is a simple test you can do at home. The test looks for traces of blood in a bowel motion.
