7-yr-long struggle of Women Doctors’ Wing IMA Jharkhand bears fruits
The extensive struggle of Women Doctors Wing, IMA Jharkhand to attract attention of the government towards cervical cancer, awareness, detection and treatment among vulnerable women in the State of Jharkhand finally seems to be bearing fruits with the State Health Minister Banna Gupta today announcing that the government has sanctioned Rs 1.32 crore in the upcoming Budget for equipping the State-run district hospitals with cervical pre cancer detection and treatment machines.
With this Jharkhand will be the first State in the country to have digital video colposcope and cryo facility for cervical cancer screening in all government district hospitals - the result of the initiative of Women Doctors Wing IMA Jharkhand.
A review meeting regarding Screening of Carcinoma Cervix was convened on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Health Minister, Banna Gupta in collaboration with Women Doctors Wing IMA, Jharkhand. In this meeting, all the civil surgeons of the State, government gynecologists, hospital managers and deputy superintendents of all the districts were connected online. National President of IMA Dr. Sahajanand Singh while praising the coordinated efforts of Health Department, Government of Jharkhand and Women Doctors Wing said that this initiative is exemplary for other states as well.
During the video conferencing, Dr Deepawali, the nodal officer in charge of the Maternity Cell, said that the target was to screen 2,25,571 women from April 2021 to January 2022, which is 6 per cent of women of reproductive potential. She presented the report of Cervical Cancer Screening done by all the government hospitals in the State.
Women Doctors Wing I.M.A. Jharkhand President Dr. Bharti Kashyap informed that hands-on training on machines is being imparted by the Women Doctors Wing in frequent webinars and health camps. As many as 89,541 women have been screened for cervical cancer in the last 9 months by trained government gynecologists.
“In order to assess the exact status of cervical cancer in Jharkhand, I suggested that the monthly data of Carcinoma Cervix from all government district hospitals should be collected from NRHM. Similarly, monthly data of carcinoma cervix from all community health centres, health and wellness centres, government and private medical colleges and hospitals, private nursing homes and all screening camps run by the National Cancer Program in the state. So that the actual status of Carcinoma Cervicales in Jharkhand can be assessed and we can be facilitated in planning for its eradication,” said Dr Kashyap.
She also suggested that under the Safe Matritva Abhiyan, a honorarium is given to the Sahiyas for bringing pregnant women to the hospital on the 9th of every month, in the same way, if women with symptoms of cervical cancer are brought to the hospital. Sahiyas are given honorarium and if this is also included in the Safe Motherhood campaign, then their enthusiasm will increase and will help in eradicating cervical cancer.
Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Arun Singh said that District Action Plan would be prepared which would work on all three issues, awareness training and treatment. For its implementation, committees will be formed in every district, in which government doctors as well as members of women doctors wing IMA at district level will also be there.
Health Minister, Banna Gupta said that the government has made a provision of Rs. 1 crore 32 lakh in the budget and digital video colposcope and cryo machine will be installed in all district hospitals of the State. He warned of sacking the concerned officials of Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Chatra and Latehar for their poor performance against the target given for cervical cancer screening. He told that talks have been made to increase the honorarium of Sahiyas. He directed the Maternity Cell in-charge Dr. Deepawali that if there are symptoms of cervical free cancer in the women who come at the time of pregnancy and after delivery, then they should be examined.