A JOINT partnership between non-profit organisation (NPO) Women With Vision and two gynecological oncologists based at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha, has made it possible for about 200 women from the age of 25 upwards to receive crucial pap smear screening for cervical cancer, free of charge.
The free pap smear tests were specifically targeted to disadvantaged women who find it difficult to afford the costs of the procedure.
Polar Park informal settlement, as well as Hillcrest, were identified as the venues where these free pap smear procedures were offered on August 25 and 26 respectively.
“The free pap smear screenings we are hosting are a community outreach initiative for cervical cancer prevention as it the leading cause of cancers and leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women,” said gynecological oncologist, Dr Nwabisa Giyose, who conducted the screening with her colleague, Dr Babalwa Tanase.
Giyose further said cervical cancer was preventable through the pap smear screenings as, through the procedure, they can detect pre-cancerous lesions which, if they remain untreated, lead to cervical cancer.
She further said they had decided to host the free pap smear screenings to make them accessible to women after they noticed a significant drop in women coming to the hospital for the procedure since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Women With Vision founder, Rashida Mukadam, said the initiative was a first of its kind for their organisation and meant to celebrate Women’s Month but their plan was to host these free screening sessions quarterly.
She further thanked the sponsors who supported the initiative, such as Madeira Pharmacy and Mthatha Plaza Pharmacy, which donated all the material to conduct the pap smear procedures, Impilo Laboratories, who offered 100 free laboratory tests, and Panarottis Mthatha, which provided food for the Polar Park session.
“I am very grateful to Women With Vision and the doctors that came and did the pap smear, as the procedure can be very expensive when done by a private doctor and my advice is for other women to have the procedure done so as to prevent or detect cervical cancer early,” said Erica Sutton, of Hillcrest, who came to take advantage of the offer.
