The Ministry of Health, in conjunction with a medical team from England, will conduct a five-day endoscopy/colonoscopy training session for local doctors and nurses next week.

Dr. Arlette Charles, Victoria Hospital's consultant surgeon, said that although endoscopy and colonoscopy services are available locally, the training sessions will increase the number of health workers who can conduct these investigations.

"This will allow us to diagnose more people and hopefully catch cancers and ulcers earlier so that we can treat them," Dr. Charles explained.

During the training session, scopes will be conducted at Victoria Hospital from Oct. 12 - 16, and at Saint Jude Hospital on Oct. 15 and 16.

"We are targeting people who are 40 and over because those are the patients who are more likely to be at risk. We want to see patients who have experienced stomach pain and burning, a sensation of not being able to swallow their food, or those who feel full very quickly when they eat. We are also looking for those with bowel problems, like bleeding or diarrhea which they cannot explain," Dr. Charles said.

The training team includes three doctors and two nurses. Sessions will begin on Oct. 12.

Endoscopy is a nonsurgical procedure used to examine a person's digestive tract using an endoscope while a colonoscopy is a test that allows your doctor to look at the inner lining of your large intestine via the use of a thin flexible tube called a colonoscope.

The normal cost of an endoscopy is $585 while a colonoscopy costs $885 at the Victoria Hospital. The management of the hospital recognizing the importance of these investigations have waived all but the administration fee of $85 for these procedures during the training session.