THE Central Islamic Organisation of Guyana (CIOG), in collaboration with the Eureka Medical Laboratories Inc., on Saturday, held a Pap Smear drive at CIOG’s Woolford Avenue, Georgetown location, in recognition of Cervical Cancer Awareness month.

With a set target of testing 500 women with a Papanicolaou test (Pap smear), CIOG was able to test, on average, 350 women.

Speaking with the Sunday Chronicle, General Manager of the CIOG, Shameena Haniff, said that the initiative was taken in light of the high rate at which women were being diagnosed with cervical cancer in Guyana.

“We would want to believe that it is because there isn’t any early detection being done, hence, the CIOG has decided that we need to be a part of this initiative in helping the woman population of our country in getting this done,” she shared.

The Pap tests were done for women of ages 20 and over where the medical team not only included persons from the Eureka Medical Laboratories, but also doctors and nurses that usually volunteer with the CIOG on a monthly basis when medical outreaches are carried out by the organisation.

These medical outreaches, she said, are held in the less fortunate communities.

“Given this initiative, we are hoping that organisations would actually get such activities done since it is something that is very much needed in our country, especially for our women and in the vulnerable communities where there are very poor persons who cannot pay to have a pap smear done,” Haniff said.

The CIOG is hoping to hold similar events in the future. Haniff said that the organisation is very happy to be extending their services to the women of Guyana since it is something that is needed as not everyone may be able to afford to get the Pap test done.

The Sunday Chronicle also spoke with a few women at the drive who shared that they were happy that the CIOG facilitated the event, as, normally, they would have had to pay to do the test.