Funds assured for preventive health programs

In one of his first orders of business, acting Department of Public Health Secretary Joseph Kevin P. Villagomez assured that funds would be infused to preventive health programs, which faced budgetary cuts due to the Babauta administration’s reprogramming of funds to the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.

“Funds should be coming back to the key programs and we will aggressively run after grants for the programs,” Villagomez said.

In late 2005, Commonwealth Health Center’s medical affairs director Dr. Robin Shearer disclosed the suspension of cancer-related health programs, including the CNMI Cancer Registry Program and the Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program. The CNMI’s Diabetes Control and Prevention Program has reportedly been facing funding problems.

Shearer later clarified that the government hospital continues to provide pap smear and mammogram services to patients who would have qualified under the program. The program continued to run with no person administering it. He said he was amending his statement to follow instructions from a DPH official whose identity he did not disclose.

The DPH yesterday joined the Saipan Mayor’s Office and the Commonwealth Cancer Association in proclaiming Jan. 16-21 as “2006 Cervical Cancer Awareness Week.”

Villagomez said that pap smears are being done at the CHC’s Women’s Clinic and private clinics, as well as in health centers in San Antonio and in San Roque.

The DPH said that the rate of cervical cancer in the CNMI is among the highest in the world. Citing the CNMI cancer mortality data covering the period from 1997 to 2001, Villagomez said 13 of the 103 women who died of cancer during the period suffered from cervical cancer.

“Data reported by the Division of Public Health show that approximately 15,000 women in the CNMI have never had a pap smear, or have not had a pap smear in four or more years,” Villagomez said.

He said cancer has become the second leading cause of death in the CNMI and that cervical cancer ranks among the top five leading causes of death.

“Many women in the CNMI have died because they did not get a simple and important test:: the pap smear. Cervical cancer screening examinations are the cornerstone of cervical cancer detection and prevention. Most cases of cervical cancer can be prevented by regular screening,” he said.

A family medicine practitioner, gynecologist, nurse or midwife could conduct pap smears, explained Villagomez. The public health program offers pap smears at no cost to women who meet its income guidelines, are uninsured or underinsured, and have resided in the CNMI for at least one year.

He said the 2005 Cervical Cancer Screening project, funded by the department’s Family Planning Program, also offers pap smears every Thursday, from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, at no cost to high-risk women who have not had a pap smear in the last four or more years.

The department disclosed the following contact information for women who would like to undergo pap smear tests.

* CHC Women’s Clinic, 236-8371

* San Antonio Community Wellness Center, 664-4850/1

* San Roque Community Wellness Center, 664-4867

* Breast and Cervical Screening Program, 236-8731

* Cervical Cancer Screening Project, 236-8731