Staff Specialist Obstetrics and Gynaecology Dr Meenu Sharma, Pink Silks Trust Chair and founder Tanya Johnson, Clinical Director Obstetrics and Gynaecology Dr Marilyn Clarke, Pink Silks Trust committee member Nicole Knight and Deputy Director Medical Services Renee Strazzari with the equipment donated to Coffs Harbour Health Campus’s Colposcopy Clinic.
Pink Silks Trust saving lives with $15,000 donation
Oct 04, 2024Coffs Harbour Health Campus’s Colposcopy Clinic has received a generous $15,000 donation from the Pink Silks Perpetual Trust, enabling the purchase of specialised equipment to enhance the clinic’s gynaecology services.
The donation underscores the ongoing commitment of the home-grown charity to support women’s health in the Coffs Coast community.
Dr Marilyn Clarke, Staff Specialist at Coffs Harbour Health Campus, expressed deep appreciation for the donation.
“The Pink Silks Trust was instrumental in establishing our colposcopy clinic four years ago, providing crucial gynaecological services to women who could not access private clinics. This new donation will allow us to purchase a second gynaecology examination bed and additional instruments, significantly expanding our capacity.”
Dr Clarke said the clinic had a critical role in women’s health outcomes.
“A public colposcopy service is essential for assessing women with abnormal cervical screening results. Early detection and treatment are vital to preventing the progression of abnormalities to cervical cancer.
“With the addition of two full-time obstetrics and gynaecological staff specialists, we can now increase our colposcopy sessions and consider expanding our services to include other gynaecological conditions,” Dr Clarke said.
The expanded services will include a new ‘High Suspicion for Cancer’ (HSC) clinic, focusing on potentially malignant or pre-malignant conditions.
“This expansion will help reduce wait times and allow us to address more complex cases promptly. Financial barriers mustn’t prevent women from accessing the care they need, and having a robust public service is a significant benefit to the community,” Dr Clarke said.
Tanya Johnson OAM, Chair and Co-Founder of the Pink Silks Perpetual Trust, said the Pink Silks Committee was delighted it could provide tangible and meaningful support to the clinic.
“The colposcopy clinic is saving lives, and it’s an honour for the Pink Silks Trust to continue supporting this vital service,” Ms Johnson said.
“We are proud to contribute to its growth and ensure that more women can access the care they need.”
In the past 17 years, the Pink Silks Trust has raised $1.375 million in support of women’s health initiatives, most of which have supported services based at Coffs Harbour Health Campus.
Ms Johnson said the huge financial support for these services was made possible by the Coffs Coast community getting behind fundraisers such as the Pink Silks Race Day and Pink Silks Golf Day, both held annually in January.