Solomon Islands to Have Own Pap Smear Clinic

Solomon Islands will soon have its own Pap Smear Clinic at the National Referral Hospital.

The first of its kind, the Clinic is made possible through the financial support of women of Soroptimist International clubs in Italy.

The Clinic was initiated by the Soroptimist International of Solomon Islands, who raised the need to Dr. Pierra Pelizzatti, a retired doctor who is doing voluntary work through Don Bosco in Solomon Islands.

Speaking to Solomon Times, Dr. Piera said it was during one of her visit to the country that the Soroptimist International Solomon Islands club raised the matter.

"Solomon Islands' first pap smear clinic is complete with necessary equipment, including the machine that will be used to carry out tests," she stated.

Dr. Pierra stressed that the project is "very important" for the women of Solomon Islands.

She said the clinic is not only for the protection of Solomon Islands women in the fight against cervical cancer.

"There are a lot of women who are not aware of this disease, and in most cases when the results of tests are received from overseas, it is too late and it's one of the objective of establishing the Clinic," Dr. Pierra added.

With the Clinic up and running, women will no longer have to wait for long period of time to get results on their tests.

"Having the machine in place, women of Solomon Islands will only have to wait one or two days to get their result," Dr. Pierra said.

It was revealed that cases have shown female patients as young as 18 years of age diagnosed with cervical cancer.

With early detection of the cancer, it can be treated and this will save lives of women in Solomon Islands.

Solomon Times was informed that the Clinic will provide free service for women of Solomon Islands.

It was said that this is made possible to help women who cannot afford to go to private doctors to have their pap smear test.

The staff of the Clinic said they are very happy with the establishment of the project "because it will really help solve problems of women with cervical cancer here in the Solomons".

They said that it was not easy to track the sickness because tests are done overseas, but that will now be history with the machine now in the country's hospital.

"This is a big step for us to have such a clinic to detect the fast growing cervical cancer that is affecting women in the Solomon Islands," the nurses said.

The new Pap Smear Clinic will officially open end of this month.