GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC) – The Health Ministry of Guyana has acquired 20 cryotherapy machines that will be distributed across the country to help in the treatment and prevention of cervical cancer in women.

The machines were handed over to the chronic diseases unit and will help clear the backlog of patients needing such treatment.

“We are indeed very thankful for this donation of cryotherapy machines that were brought through the IDB project; a total of 20 machines that are going to be used to improve our screening services for cervical cancer, this will come as a great measure for not only screening, but to provide immediate medical treatment in that if we do find a pathological cervix, cryotherapy can be applied immediately and we have one healthy patient going back home to her family,” said the Director of the Ministry’s non-communicable diseases programme, Dr Latchmie Lall.

According to the director of primary healthcare services, Dr Ertensia Hamilton, the equipment comes at an opportune time when the ministry is extending its services for women of reproductive age across the country.

“We recognise that Guyana still has a high incidence of cervical cancer in our women and so we want to be able to have services available to them as we work towards ensuring that each individual across their life course has services to meet their medical needs,” she said.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, noted that there is a holistic approach to dealing with cervical cancer, which is the second most prevalent cancer among women in the country.

Anthony is urging persons to get vaccinated with the HPV vaccine and get screened for the disease.