Health screening for Gynaecology issues amongst women and girls in West underway

Since the 12^th of August, a team from Gizo hospital led by Dr Sadlar Zekele, alongside sonographer Mr. David Pitanoe, a midwife, Cherie Qalo and HIV Coordinator Hellen Tanito, have been touring the western province conducting mass female sexual reproductive health (Gynaecology) screening for over thousands of women and girls.

Sonographer: Health care professional that operates a sonography machine for diagnostic medical procedures using sound waves (ultrasound) to produce dynamic visual images of organs, tissues or blood flow inside the body for medical examination.

The screening is important to schedule all those needing medical treatment and procedures for an upcoming gynaecology operations that the Ministry of Health will undertake from the 4^th of September to the 26^th.

The operations next month will involve;

1. Total Abdominal Hysterectomy – removal of uterus or baby basket
2. Removal of cysts or mass in the female’s sexual reproductive organs
3. Staging of Cervical Cancer
4. Other gynaecology issues

Dr Sadlar Zekele, said that the team had covered many parts of the province including the Shortland islands reaching over a thousand women and girls and this week the team will be based at Seghe in Marovo lagoon where screening for women and girls in the surrounding communities will be conducted.

The screening activity includes checks for inflammatory diseases, urinary tract infection, Jadelle implantation (birth control), antenatal mothers and  possible mass and cysts in the females reproductive system.

“The undertaking has been welcomed by many women and girls who otherwise will need to meet the cost of traveling to Gizo hospital for such assessment. More importantly, the screening also made timely detection of health issues amongst those being assessed for early treatment and scheduling for medical procedures next month”, explained Dr. Zekele.

 

Dr. Zekele is calling on women and girls in the province who wants to also undergo similar assessment and live close to Gizo, to go to Gizo hospital to undergo the assessment.

For the gynaecology operations next month, a team from the National Referral Hospital will be deployed to Gizo hospital where they will work with the Gizo medical team to address health issues identified from the current mass screening.

Every year such gynaecology-related screening and medical operations are carried out twice in Western Province including for other provinces to ensure that issues pertaining to female’s reproductive health are detected at the earliest and appropriate, relevant and timely medical response is provided.