Tuesday, 13 February 2018
This month the Medical School together with the Cyprus chapter of Business Professional Women (BPW), and with the support of the Ministry of Health, embarked upon a cervical screening programme for some of the remote communities of Limassol and Larnaca/Famagusta districts.
The aim of the campaign is to inform and to offer free PAP tests to women between the ages of 25 and 65.The first expedition took place last Sunday, 11 February 2018, at Ormideia Medical Centre, which covers the Larnaca/Famagusta communities. The next visit is scheduled for Wednesday, 21 February at Pachna Medical Centre for the Limassol region.
Led by Gynaecologist and Clinical Lead at Makarios Hospital, Dr Savvas Argyrides, medical student volunteers together with BPW representatives will visit both Medical Centres once a month to examine 30 women per visit.
The response from women so far has been very positive. All appointments for February to June 2018 have been filled. It is estimated that by the end of June 2018 around 320 women will have been examined at both centres. The campaign will be suspended for the months of July and August and will resume in September until as many women as possible have been examined.
The Medical Centre of Ormideia covers the communities of Avgorou, Vrysoulles, Achna, Liopetri, Xylotympou, Xylofagou and Ormideia, whereas the Pachna Medical Centre covers the communities of Agios Amvrosios, Agios Thomas, Alektora, Anogyra, Arsos, Avdimou, Vasa, Vouni, Dora, Kantou, Kissousa, Kivides, Lofou, Malia, Omodos, Paramali, Pahna, Potamiou, Prastio, Plataniskia, Pissouri, Souni-Zanakia and Sotira.
Students volunteers: Joy Godfrey, Katherine Stergiopoulou, Kristi Constantinou, Varsha Sajeesh, Polyxeni Doukaki, Aws Al-Omari, Stephanie Kahura, Georgia Ioannou.
Staff volunteers: Dr Savvas Argyrides, George Sycallides, Chad Schou, Argyris Evangelou, Evangelos Stambolis
BPW volunteers: Mary Papadopoulou, Dr Mary Avraamidou