June 11, 2018

Last February the Medical School together with Business Professional Women, Cyprus (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 campaign began on Sunday, 11 February 2018, at Ormideia Health Centre and was followed by a visit to Pachna Health Centre on Wednesday, 21 February.

The response from women has been very positive.  All appointments for the first phase of the campaign, February to June 2018, were filled and, as a result, 300 women at both Health Centres have so far been examined.

Led by Gynaecologist and Clinical Lead at Makarios Hospital, Dr Savvas Argyrides, medical students and staff volunteers together with BPW representatives visited the two centres once a month between February and June 2018.

The campaign is suspended for the months of July, August and September and will resume in October 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.