Free Skin Checks in Indjija and Backa Topola on Sept 18
Need a referral for a skin check? You don't, no health booklet and no appointment either. Serbia's dermatologists resume their free screening tour in Vojvodina starting Friday.
Do you need a referral to get your skin checked? Not this Friday, not in Indjija and not in Backa Topola. The Serbian Association of Dermatovenereologists is continuing its free dermoscopy campaign, backed by the Ministry of Health, with a new round kicking off on September 18 in two towns in Vojvodina.
The campaign targets areas where dermatologists are in short supply, the kind of places where people otherwise wait months for a specialist appointment. The goal is straightforward: catch melanoma and other suspicious skin changes early, while they’re still easy to treat.
Where and when are the checkups in Indjija and Backa Topola?
The first two stops of the September round are Indjija and Backa Topola. Checkups run on Friday, September 18, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the local health centers. The key thing for anyone planning to show up: no health insurance booklet, no doctor’s referral and no need to book ahead. Just arrive during the listed hours.
After Indjija and Backa Topola, the campaign moves on across Vojvodina. Over the weekend, from September 18 to 20, free checkups will be held in eight towns in total:
- Indjija
- Zabalj
- Curug
- Becej
- Ada
- Backa Topola
- Kanjiza
- Alibunar
What have the checkups found so far?
The numbers from the campaign so far explain why it matters. A total of 3,319 people have been examined, and melanoma has been suspected in 33 of them. Dermatologists have also diagnosed 43 squamous cell carcinomas and 162 basal cell carcinomas, along with 162 dysplastic nevi, moles removed as a precaution because they carry a higher risk of turning into melanoma.
Professor Danica Tiodorovic, president of the Serbian Association of Dermatovenereologists, explains why speed matters here:
“Melanoma is, as we know, the most malignant skin tumor, one that spreads early through both the lymphatic and blood systems, which is exactly why early diagnosis is so important.”
The exam doesn’t end on the day of the checkup itself. Patients in whom a suspicious change is spotted are referred further, to tertiary healthcare institutions in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Nis, as well as to the Military Medical Academy. The professor says that step matters just as much as the exam itself:
“What matters a great deal is not just making the diagnosis and examining people, but knowing exactly which healthcare center, which clinical center, they need to go to, and what happens next.”
Some of the patients examined in Bor, Blace, Brus and Kosovo and Metohija already have confirmed diagnoses. Tiodorovic points to a specific case:
“We have a patient with six confirmed melanomas, where we completed the whole procedure together with our plastic surgeons. We also have a confirmed diagnosis of melanoma in situ in a young man, which shows just how important proper, timely prevention is, and how it saves lives.”
According to the campaign’s results so far, the highest number of melanomas detected was recorded in Bor and in Kosovo and Metohija, while the most squamous cell carcinomas were diagnosed in Nova Varos and Prijepolje. Those differences point to where preventive checkups are needed most, not to any difference in the skin itself.
How can you check your own skin before the next visit?
Not everyone has to wait for the team to reach their town. A self-exam is a simple step you can take tonight, in the bathroom, with decent light and a mirror.
- check every mole you have, not just the ones on visible parts of your body
- watch for any change in the shape, color or size of an existing mole
- don’t ignore a new spot that appears and looks different from the rest of your skin
- repeat the self-exam roughly once a month, not just in summer
Professor Tiodorovic says early diagnosis saves lives, a message aimed squarely at anyone who thinks skin health is only a summer concern:
“We need to carry out regular self-exams and come in for preventive dermoscopy checkups that genuinely save lives, because skin care starts with prevention.”
If you live in Indjija or Backa Topola, Friday, September 18, is your chance to get your skin checked with no obstacles at all: no booklet, no referral, no waiting for an appointment. If your town is on the weekend list, another date is only a day or two away. And if neither applies to you, a self-exam tonight costs nothing and might catch something that’s better to know about early.
