The Ministry of Health has teamed up with the Laparkan Group of Companies to offer free cervical cancer screening this month, which is being observed as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
The ministry and Laparkan will offer free Visual Inspection using Acetic Acid (VIA) and eye care screening to the public for the next three weeks. Health Minister Dr Bheri Ramsaran interacted with the scores of persons who queued to access the free service, during a visit to the testing site on Thursday, a press release from the Government Information Agency (GINA) said.
Dr Ramsaran said government has been putting cervical cancer awareness on the front burner and this year it aims to strengthen private/public partnership to tackle the disease. The VIA service was introduced as a way in which women could be screened, diagnosed and treated in a single visit.
“Over the past months I have been emphasising the use of innovative ways to reach out to sections of society. We have also been with beauticians and pageant contestants to promote breast cancer awareness and now we are moving to involve corporate entities,” he said. Last year, approximately 18,000 women were screened for cervical cancer at the various centres countrywide and, according to Ramsaran, government aims to surpass that figure this year.
To complement the drive, the ministry is also making available a vaccine to fight against the effects of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) which causes cervical cancer.
A blood donation drive will also be held during the week.
Laparkan Executive Director Vibert Parvatan pledged his company’s support to the ministry.
