Benefits of the Mobile Skin Cancer Screening Truck

In 2025 Mildura Base Public Hospital’s Foundation will change how skin cancer screening is done with the introduction of Australia’s first mobile skin cancer screening vehicle.

Costing over $2.5millions, the state-of-the-art mobile health care facility, will be fitted with a WB360 Vectra scanner, one of the most advanced 3D skin imaging machines in the world.

Previously, patients in the Sunraysia/North West region faced significant challenges accessing specialised dermatological services. Due to the vast distances and limited healthcare infrastructure in remote areas, individuals often had to endure long and arduous journeys to urban centres for skin cancer screenings and treatment.

The introduction of the mobile skin cancer screening vehicle will mark a transformative shift in healthcare accessibility for residents in regional Australia.

Equipped with state-of-theart screening technology and staffed by experienced healthcare professionals, the mobile unit brings essential services directly to the doorstep of rural communities.

The implementation of virtual care capabilities enables patients to connect with specialist doctors remotely, eliminating the need for extensive travel and reducing the burden on already strained healthcare resources. This innovative approach not only enhances convenience for patients but also ensures timely access to critical medical expertise, ultimately improving outcomes for individuals affected by skin cancer.

The mobile unit not only addresses the immediate healthcare needs of the community but also represents progress in the ongoing fight against skin cancer. By bringing cuttingedge medical services to underserviced areas, MBPH is spearheading a paradigm shift in healthcare delivery, setting a precedent for equitable access to quality care across farming communities across regional Victoria, South Australia & NSW initially, with the long-term goal to roll the program out nationally.

Statistics show people living in regional and rural Australia face much poorer skin cancer health outcomes compared with their metropolitan counterpart

Total body skin imaging, teledermatology and artificial intelligence (AI)-derived automated diagnostic technologies have the potential to reduce melanoma and skin cancer mortality and morbidity in regional and rural Australia.

Currently, these technologies and services mainly benefit metropolitan healthcare sites. This project will address regional and rural health disparity and the inequities in access to digital health care which requires a systematic national response.

Current skin cancer and dermatological care lacks quality and consistency across Australia’s vast landscape. In Australia, it is estimated that two out of three people will be diagnosed with skin cancer by age 70, with an estimated 17,000 cases of invasive melanomas and 28,000 in-situ melanomas to be diagnosed this year alone.

With the support of the Essendon and Geelong Football Club’s MBPH’s Foundation is taking the fight again skin cancer to the door steps of those most in need, but the cost to put the vehicle on the road requires substantial financial benefit.

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