The Men's Health Education Rural Van (MHERV), owned and operated by the Rotary Club of the Warners Bay, visited Grenfell on May 9 to offer free, confidential and quick health checks to men.
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The van is a purpose-built caravan which began touring NSW in 2017 to conduct health tests on rural men, many of whom are notorious for not finding time to see their GP for check-ups.
The tests are offered completely free and is a community service provided by Rotary and its sponsors, particularly the Royal Freemasons' Benevolent Institution and the Rotary Clubs of NSW.
The NSW Government has also assisted in funding to assist with the cost of medical consumables.
Registered Nurse Bill Power, who performed blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes checks, said he was quite satisfied with the number of tests he carried out in a town the size of Grenfell.
Of those, he said three indicated a need to be followed up.
Grenfell Rotarians were rostered on to welcome people wishing to have the tests and to ask them to fill out their details on a slip of paper for Bill.
It was a glorious autumn day for the Grenfell Rotarians to be out assisting Bill and his wife, Debbie, as local men arrived to take advantage of the opportunity to utilise the service.
It was very gratifying for all involved in bringing the van to Grenfell to see Weddin Shire men prepared to support what was being offered on the day and to, hopefully where necessary, follow through with their doctor.
After spending the night in Grenfell hosted by Rotarians, Bill and Debbie continued on the route, mapped out for them, of towns who have taken up the offer to have the MHERV service.
Rotary's MHERV free, ten minute, non-invasive group of tests covers:
- Blood pressure.
- Blood sugar levels.
- Cholesterol
High levels of any of these have virtually no symptoms and can kill.
Yet these conditions can be detected by the MHERV tests and if noticed in time can easily be treated by a local family doctor.