Meghalaya’s first-ever cervical pre-cancer treatment performed at state health facility

SHILLONG, May 15: In a landmark achievement for women’s health in Meghalaya, the first-ever thermal ablation procedure for treating HPV-related cervical pre-cancer was successfully performed at a government health facility on Wednesday.
The procedure was conducted at the DAE Cancer Wing of Civil Hospital, Shillong, by a dedicated team from the Meghalaya Mission Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Project.
This marks a major advancement in the state’s public healthcare system, as such treatment services were previously unavailable in government facilities.
The case involved a patient who tested positive for HPV DNA Genotype 11 on March 31. Following clinical evaluation and counselling, the patient was successfully treated through thermal ablation as a daycare procedure on May 13.
Health officials stated that this intervention demonstrates the growing capacity of the state’s medical institutions to provide early detection and prompt treatment, effectively preventing the progression of cervical lesions into cancer.
To further this mission, the government plans to make thermal ablators available in all district Maternal and Child Health (MCH) hospitals.
It may be mentioned that the successful introduction of this technology is expected to pave the way for wider HPV screening, enhanced training for healthcare professionals and increased public participation in cancer screening programmes.
Officials have, meanwhile, described the achievement as a significant step toward eliminating cervical cancer as a public health threat in Meghalaya through improved access to quality preventive care.