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30 women screened for cervical cancer during outreach at Bartica
By Shervin Belgrave
Kaieteur News – At least 30 women on Saturday December 4 turned up to be screened for cervical cancer during a mini-medical outreach at the Bartica Secondary School in Region Seven.
The outreach was coordinated with the Chairman of Region Seven, Kenneth Williams, and conducted by the United States (U.S.) Civil Affairs team, the Central Islamic Organisation (CIOG), Guyana Medical Relief (GMR), and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
First Aid training in Session at the Bartica Secondary School on Saturday December 4, 2021
In November, the U.S. Civil Affairs team had visited several villages in Central Mazaruni to assess the medical needs of the villagers and identify a suitable place to hold a large scale medical outreach with its local partners.
The team had promised to return to the area to host a mini-outreach in Bartica before following-up with a mega one at Issano Mazaruni, in January, 2022.
On Saturday, December 4, the team fulfilled its promise and facilitated VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) cancer screening for women of the Bartica community.
According to the Regional Chairman, Williams, “at least 30 women turned up to benefit from this service.
Leader of the U.S. Civil Affairs team, Aaron Staton had noted that their personal information was taken down and doctors will contact them with the results.
Between 2013 and 2017, cervical cancer was reportedly listed as the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in Guyana.
The Ministry of Health had revealed back then that, for that same period, Guyana had recorded some 185 cervical cancer-related deaths. It was reported, too, that most women who died from the disease are of African and East Indian decent.
One of the US Civil Affairs team members lecturing attendees during the the Mental Health Resiliency training session.
However, it was noted that cases among Amerindian women have been on the increase.
Apart from educating and screening the women for cervical cancer the U.S. team had also conducted first aid and mental health resiliency training (a crash course on how to prevent persons from taking their own life) with government health workers and first responders stationed in Bartica and nearby communities
Chairman Williams said that “roughly 40 individuals came for the training”.
These individuals were taught how to control massive bleeding with a tourniquet, airway management, treatment of burns, and splinting broken legs.
As it relates to the resiliency training, the attendees were guided on how to think positively when hardships occur and setting effective goals.
The U.S. Civil Affairs Team Leader, Staton, pointed out that Guyana has a very high suicide rate and such resiliency trainings can help reduce the risk of this occurring.
Kaieteur News was told that the participants of the training session showed deep interest in the mental health related topics.
Some of them reportedly asked the team members to enlighten them on the best way to apply mental techniques in their daily lives.
The team plans to conduct more mental health resiliency training in communities across Guyana.
One such training session has already been scheduled for December 15 at Wakenaam, Region Three.
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