Rural women embarrassed to undergo cancer checks, MP says

 CERVICAL and breast cancers are “silent killers” of women in rural areas, a group of health officials have been told.

Anglimp-South Waghi MP Joe Koim told officials from the Western Highlands Provincial Health Authority, staff of Hagen and Kudjip hospitals and representatives of AusAID in Mt Hagen last week that many women in rural areas felt embarrassed to seek treatment for breast and cervical cancer.

Koim said because of stigma and discrimination, many women would rather live with the cancer than seek treatment.

In some cases, they cannot afford to travel to urban centres to seek treatment.

Koim felt sorry for the mothers and people living in the rural areas and  made a commitment of K500,000 to buy a mobile clinic in the electorate.

He said the mobile clinic would be bought next year. It will travel to rural areas connected by road.

“The mobile clinic is like a moving hospital and will have (all the necessary medical equipment) to serve people,” he said.

He said women living with breast or cervical cancer would feel more comfortable to come out and seek treatment.

He urged AusAID representatives to organise volunteers such as retired doctors and nurses from Australia to come and spend at least a month in the district serving in the mobile clinic.

Koim gave K500,000 to the Kudjip Nazarene hospital to build more infrastructure at the hospital.