Gov’t urging more individuals to access cervical screening, eye care programmes

Despite the government through the Ministry of Health setting aside a massive $2.8 billion to facilitate cervical cancer screening for women – only 10,000 have accessed the service to date.

This concern was flagged by Vice President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo during a community outreach at Beterverwagting on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) over the weekend.

Launched earlier this year, the Cervical Cancer testing programme provides women between the ages of 21 to 65 with a $8000 voucher for screening. By providing this support, the ministry aims to reduce this prevalent cancer among women.

“We have about 350,000 women who can benefit from that; the money is in the budget… We only have less than 10,000 people who tested and we’re nearly at the end of the year,” he worriedly expressed.

Additionally, the Eye Testing and Spectacles Programme provides support to anyone under 18 years of age and persons, 65 years and older.

Persons requiring an eye test will receive a $2000 voucher while a patient requiring spectacles, can uplift another voucher valued at $15,000 to cover the cost of the eyewear.

However, according to the vice president, many individuals have not accessed the programme and are waiting on the government to come to them. He pointed out that while the government is creating these initiatives, individuals have to play their role in accessing these services.

And so, he underlined, “People need to step up.”

Some $840 million has been earmarked in the national budget for the eye tests and $995 million to subsidise spectacles cost.

These initiatives were outlined in the national 2024 budget as part of the government’s plethora of measures to support the vulnerable.

Meanwhile, Dr Jagdeo also urged residents to apply for scholarships under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), so they can participate in Guyana’s ongoing transformation.

Training opportunities are also available through the Ministry of Labour’s Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and the Women Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) under the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security.