GTT collaborates with MoH to offer free pap smears, VIA screening

GTT recently collaborated with the Chronic Disease Unit of the Ministry of Health (MoH) to offer a week of free pap smears and Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) screening to women across Guyana in an effort to promote early detection of the deadly disease, cervical cancer.
The one-week outreach, to kickstart Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, began at the Goed Intent Health Centre in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and spread to several other regions.

GTT’s Pinktober Coordinator, Diana Gittens said the company was delighted to contribute to this outreach as it offered women in Guyana access to screening and testing – free of cost.
“It is my hope that women in the respective areas where the free tests and screening were offered took advantage of the availability to know their status. As GTT has reminded over the years, ‘early detection saves lives’ and this exercise was aimed at doing just that – helping as many women in Guyana to fight against cancer through early detection and medical care,” she stated.
National VIA Coordinator at the Health Ministry, Dr Martin Campbell said he and his team were pleased once again to be collaborating with GTT to provide VIA and free pap screening during this year’s Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.
“We hope to continue building on this relationship until every woman in Guyana is screened for cervical cancer,” Dr Campbell posited.
The cervical cancer screenings also occurred at the Rosignol Health Centre, the Mahaica Health Centre, the Kuru Kururu Centre, and the Mahdia District Hospital. The outreach concluded at the Craig Health Centre.
Gittens noted that the Linden Cancer Society and the Berbice Cancer Society will host screenings during the month of February for women in their regions.