Now on its fifth year, the free cervical cancer screening program of the Department of Health (DOH) in partnership with MSD and medical societies namely the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS), the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of the Philippines (SGOP), and the Philippine Society for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy (PSCPC) during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month will now enable patients to get screened, be diagnosed and get treated in the same hospital.
May 2012 Cervical Cancer Screening:
- Women aged 30 to 49 years old may avail of free screenings at DOH-retained hospitals nationwide. For the list of DOH-retained hospitals, go to http://www2.doh.gov.ph/doh_retained_hospital.htm.
- For the whole month of May, the screenings will be offered to the public in DOH-retained hospitals every Wednesday in Metro Manila, every Friday in Luzon, every Tuesday in Visayas and every Thursday in Mindanao.
- Three (3) cryotherapy machines which are used to freeze and destroy abnormal tissues in the cervix are set for turnover to three DOH Medical Centers through a grant from UNFPA: Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital and Cotabato Regional Hospital.
- Women who are screened and found positive for cervical abnormalities can now be treated immediately in those 3 hospitals with cryotherapy machines without delay or hassle of visiting another hospital with technology to remove suspicious lesions.
Twelve (12) women die of cervical cancer everyday. Cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV. Routine screening through a pap smear is an effective way of helping prevent cervical cancer. A cheaper yet effective alternative is getting screened through visual inspection with acetic acid or vinegar to detect possible precancerous lesions.
For the list of DOH-retained hospitals, go to http://www2.doh.gov.ph/doh_retained_hospital.htm.
For more information on cervical cancer and other HPV diseases, visit www.helpfightHPV.com
Published: 2012-05-03 09:55:04
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