PARIT, Aug 22 — State governments have been urged to provide a special allocation to the National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN) in the 2021 Budget in order for the agency to conduct the free mammogram and cervical cancer screening programmes for the community.
LPPKN chairman Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria said that the allocation was important to ensure that the community, especially the low-income households (B40), could undergo health check-ups for early cancer detection without having to fork out more fees at private health centres.
He said that until now, only a few states including Perak have provided the allocation to enable the LPPKN to carry out check-ups in some areas including those where good health screening is inaccessible.
“If possible, in the upcoming 2021 Budget, any state which has yet to provide the special allocation for the mammogram and cervical cancer testing, or any other such initiatives under the LPPKN, can do so and we are prepared to receive and make available more such programmes.
“I congratulate Perak for providing support to the LPPKN so that the community can be given the subsidy,” he told reporters at the Mammogram and Cervical Cancer Screening Subsidy Programme (HPV DNA Test) which was officiated by the state Women Development, Family and Social Welfare committee chairman Datuk Dr Wan Norashikin Wan Noordin at the Kampung Tua Multipurpose Hall here today.
Mohd Nizar, who is also the MP for Parit, said that this programme would allow women to undergo a free examination and any early detection (of cancer) or those at risk would be referred to a panel clinic or hospital for further medical attention.
He said his team was targeting 4,000 women in Perak to get check-ups under the programme throughout the year.
“This is the third time the mammogram subsidy programme and cervical cancer screening test was held in Perak, after Larut Matang and Selama and also in Ipoh.
“After this, we will mobilise the programme according to the State Legislative Assembly to provide education to women on the importance of early detection of this disease,” he added.
–BERNAMA
