Okapa women tested for cervical cancer in Goroka

 NEARLY 200 women from remote Ofafina, Okapa district in Eastern Highlands are undertaking cervical cancer tests at the Goroka Base Hospital.

The women are fortunate to be assisted after a brief engagement of one of them at the Life Bible Mission station at Kapakamarigi in lower Bena. She was diagnosed and treated at the Goroka Base Hospital.

Dorin Erik, after returning to Ofafina, told women suffering from cervical cancer of the availability of tests and treatment facilities at Goroka Base Hospital.

Two men from the village, Bernard Koyao and Sonny Wande, helped the women make arrangement to take them to Goroka.

“After identifying them, we asked Okapa MP Isaacc Waigavara for financial assistance to take them to Goroka Base Hospital for testing and treatment.

“He gave us K21,480 which we used for transport, medical fees, accommodation, food and incidentals to help them in Goroka,” Koyao said.

He said there were signs that more than 90% of them would be diagnosed with the cancer and would be going throughthe treatment process.

Koyao said he grouped them into fives and brought them to Goroka at different times. The first lot came on March, the second on March 26 and the third on April 1. The fifth will come this week.

“We discovered that many rural mothers die silently from cervical cancer,” he said.

“If 180 of them are from Ofafina Council Ward six in the East Okapa Local Level Government area only, then there are hundreds dying silently in the remote Okapa district.”

Wande said they wanted to extend the voluntary life-saving exercises to cover every village in Okapa district and save women suffering from cervical cancer.

“However we require financial support to bring the women to the clinics. So we call on health authorities, local level governments, MP Waigavara, Governor Julie Soso and others to assist,’’ Wande said.

Anyone wishing to help should contact them on 272748145 or 710509950.