Free Health Camps Improve Women's Health in Ghorahi

Dang. Women's health has started to improve after free health treatment began near their homes. A 60-year-old woman residing in Shivpur, Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis-11, had problems with lower abdominal pain, back pain, and waist pain. She did not go to the hospital due to lack of time from household chores.

She went to a free health camp organized by the Public Health Promotion Branch of Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis nearby. Upon reaching there, it was discovered that she had a wound in her uterus. The health workers who went for treatment reassured her that the medicine would cure it and sent her away with medicine. Pokharel said she was happy to receive health services near her home.

A 63-year-old woman from Kalamghari, Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis-13, had problems with urinary incontinence, back pain, body aches, and loss of appetite. She said she did not go to the hospital due to lack of time for treatment. She expressed hope that she would be cured as she came for treatment at the free health camp that came near her home and the health workers gave her medicine.

According to the Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis Public Health Promotion Branch, the number of deaths due to cervical cancer in Ghorahi has decreased in the last four years. Hundreds have saved their lives by getting screened on time.

The data from the past four years shows that suspicious symptoms of cervical cancer have been found in 488 women in Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis. Suspicious symptoms of cancer in the uterus were found in 488 women through camps and institutional family planning clinics operated by the Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis Public Health Promotion Branch in all 19 wards. The sub-metropolis has been conducting camps for cervical cancer screening since the fiscal year 2079/80 for the health protection of women.

In the past four fiscal years, Ghorahi has tested the uteruses of 16,741 women by reaching various areas in all 19 wards. Suspicious symptoms of cancer were found in the uteruses of 488 women in those tests. According to the data, a total of 5,809 women were tested for uterine cancer in fiscal year 2079/80. Among them, 116 women tested positive for cancer.

In fiscal year 2080/81, 3,665 women's uteruses were examined. Among them, 88 tested positive. Similarly, in fiscal year 2081/82, 164 suspicious symptoms were found in tests conducted on 5,260 people, while in the current fiscal year 2082/83, 120 out of 2,007 women tested positive, informed Radha Poudel, head of the Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis Health Branch.

Branch Chief Poudel informed that as women are made aware that detecting the problem in time reduces costs and makes treatment easier, the number of women coming for treatment has increased.

Ghorahi has now arranged for free camps to be held in villages, and for cervical cancer screening at institutional family planning clinics and Laxmipur Health Post. Cervical cancer screening is being done every Thursday at the institutional family planning clinic and on the first Monday of every month at Laxmipur Health Post, informed Chief Poudel. She said that those with serious problems are referred to the concerned hospitals.

Deputy Mayor of Ghorahi Sub-Metropolis, Humakumari DC, said that after cancer-affected women started coming to her table daily, an campaign was launched to detect the disease in time rather than treating it after it occurs.

“We started the cervical cancer screening campaign from fiscal year 2079/80,” said Deputy Mayor DC, “Some could not be saved, but many have received new life by getting tested and treated in time. Therefore, we will continue the cervical cancer screening as a campaign in the coming days.”