Region Six health centres receive cryotherapy kits to advance VIA screening

Five health centres in Region Six are now better equipped to perform Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid, also known as VIA screening, as they each received a cryotherapy kit on Monday.

These include the Skeldon, Williamsburg, Orealla and Cumberland health centres. The Regional Health Facility also received one to perform outreaches.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony at the facility in New Amsterdam, Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony noted that this will increase screening for various cancers.

“We want to offer VIA and pap smears. VIA is a simple procedure and during VIA if we notice any abnormal cells, we can then use cryotherapy to make sure that we fix those abnormal cells,” the minister stated.

Cryotherapy also called ‘cold therapy’ is the use of extreme low temperatures to freeze and remove abnormal tissues in the human body.

Minister Anthony said the uptake of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has been quite low in the region, and efforts are being made to increase it, as new strategies are being developed.

“The second most prevalent cancer is cervical cancer. Now this is something that is totally preventable, this is something that we can eliminate from Guyana. All it takes for us to do is intensify our vaccination, our immunisation,” the health minister stated.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman, David Armogan noted that he is pleased that women’s health is being taken seriously in today’s society.

“Once we are improving on the infrastructure. We also have to be able to improve on the level of service that we are offering to the people, especially the women who are coming to these health centres,” he said.

These kits which were donated through the Inter-American Development Bank will ease persons from travelling to the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital to have the screenings performed.