North China's Hebei Province provided free gynaecological checkup for 9.83 million married women at childbearing age in rural areas last year, according to the provincial commission of family planning.

It means that 85.1 percent of married women at childbearing age in rural areas of the province have received free gynaecological checkup.

Statistics show that about 40 percent of married women at childbearing age in rural areas of the province are plagued by gynaecological diseases and mastopathy and 10 percent are not able to work due to the diseases.

Hebei Province started to provide free gynaecological checkup since 2005 for rural married women under the age of 49.

The province invested 54.1 million yuan (6.76 million U.S. dollars) to purchase related equipment and mobilized 80,000 family planning workers for the checkup in the year of 2005.

Among the women who received free checkups, 4.69 million were found to suffer from gynaecological diseases and mastopathy. So far, 1.59 million women have recovered from the diseases after medical treatment.

Source: Xinhua