MALITA, Davao Occidental (PIA) — The Davao Occidental General Hospital (DOCGH) has underscored the help of barangay health workers (BHWs) in detecting cervical cancer from among women in the communities by engaging and educating them on screening tests.
The Department of Health-retained hospital recently conducted cervical cancer screening services involving 150 women residents in the municipality of Malita, with BHWs from Barangay Lacaron observing how the screenings were performed.
Dr. Maria Camella Grace Delos Reyes, chair of DOGH’s obstetrics and gynecology department, emphasized the role of BHWs as partners of the OB-GYNE in encouraging women to be checked for cervical cancer, through Visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid or VIA.
“The community can help detect cervical cancer by having the OB-GYNE as partners.
The DOGH as referring hospital, we can help refer to oncologic partners in the region. This way, we help monitor the incidents of cervical cancer,” Delos Reyes explained during an episode of the Kapihan sa PIA sa Davao Occidental.
DOGH medical center chief Dr. Glinard Quezada said that the recently-held cervical cancer screening services was aligned with the intensified cancer literacy and management of cervical cancer in partnership with the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS).
Quezada emphasized the importance of early detection and diagnosis to promptly address and treat cervical cancer, which is one of the most highly treatable forms of cancer when detected and diagnosed early.
Dr. Alain O. Kintanar, DOGH chief of clinics, also concurred in the need to intensify educating the public on preventing cervical cancer, as he bared that the hospital has already registered moderate numbers of individuals with the cancer.
In the Philippine setting, POGS Southern Mindanao Chapter regional director Dr. Geraldine dela Victoria revealed that there were about 8,549 new cervical cancer cases in 2022 alone.
Dela Victoria said that “there are 4,319 deaths per year, which means that there are 23 new cases and 12 deaths per day due to cervical cancer.”
She also lamented that 75 percent of these women were diagnosed at the late stage.
“With all these numbers we like to bring down the death secondary to cervical cancer,” Dela Victoria stated as she raised the importance of screening for early detection and treatment.
“DOGH has asked the help of POGS. Because we have very small number of cervical screening,” she said, adding that with the big number of deaths and cases, there’s only less than one percent screening.
She believed that the continuous collaboration of DOH and POGS will help increase the awareness and screening of cervical cancer cases in the country.
Delos Reyes has also lauded this partnership, saying “I’m very happy that we are already embraced by the society to be one of their community partners… Day by day we might decrease this number of cervical cancer.”
Quezada said that they have also provided human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines to 50 children aged nine to 14 years old in Malita, as part of the cervical cancer prevention program.
He added that they have collaborated with the Department of Education in the province to support the prevention campaign. (CLC/PIA Davao Occidental)
