Women in Kisumu County have been urged to routinely go for cancer of the cervix screening in any public health hospital in the county.
The county director of health Dr Ojwang Lusi said early detection greatly improves the chances of successful treatment and prevents any early cervical cell changes from becoming cancerous.
Dr Lusi said the county government has heavily invested in the free screening and told women to take advantage and get screened.
“Walk into any government facility in your area and get screened,” he said.
He said cancer screening, which includes the pap smear test is essential part of a woman’s routine health care. He said cancer of the cervix now is a major killer among women in the country and must be detected early through such screenings for proper treatment.
Speaking in Nyando Constituency during a free medical clinic, Lusi said the hospitals have been stocked with medicines for treatment. He said referrals are also done to major hospitals depending on the stage at which the cancer of the cervix is found.
“We have enough medicines at our facilities and for cases that are beyond our staff they will refer to major health facilities in the county,” he said.
Dr Lusi said most women die because of failure to seek early treatment through regularly screenings.
“We continue losing our mothers just because they have not taken time to go for the free screenings to detect cancer of the cervix early enough,” he said.