Uttarakhand: Public awareness program organized across the state on World Cancer Day, screening done with state-of-the-art machine
On the occasion of World Cancer Day, a program was organized by the National Health Mission (NHM) at District Hospital Coronation. In the programme, women were screened for breast cancer with a thermal imaging machine equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the general public was made aware about cancer through street plays and other mediums.
Present in the program was Swati Bhadauria, Mission Director, N.H.M. It was told that on the occasion of Cancer Day, the Health Department has used this machine as a pilot project to screen women for breast cancer using a state-of-the-art machine. It is an effort to ensure that the people of the state get quality cancer screening in all the hospitals.
It was told by the Mission Director that the programs organized across the state on the occasion of Cancer Day aim to make the general public aware about the prevention of cancer and to reduce the death rate due to cancer by encouraging timely identification of its symptoms and treatment. In most of the cases of cancer, it is caused by tobacco, smoking, bad lifestyle and wrong eating habits.
He said that under the Non-Communicable Disease Program in the state of Uttarakhand, screening of oral cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer is being done and cancer patients are being identified and referred for secondary and tertiary care.
The persons present at the program were made aware that cancer is emerging as a major health problem globally. According to the World Health Organization, the age standardized rate of cancer in India is 98.5 per lakh population (Source- Global Cancer Observatory). According to this, about 12,017 people are suffering from cancer in the state of Uttarakhand. Among all types of cancer diseases, oral cancer, breast cancer and cervical cancer are the major cancers. To reduce the mortality rate due to cancer, it is necessary to identify the symptoms in the initial stages and provide treatment to the patients.
Two types of screening activities are being carried out under the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) programme
(1) Population Based Screening – Population based screening has been started in the entire state with the help of community health officers posted in all Ayushman Arogya Mandir, with the aim of screening people above 30 years of age for common non-communicable diseases (NCDs). To screen all persons of all ages so that cancer along with other NCDs can be identified timely and treatment can be provided at an early stage. Cancer screening is being done in 1307 SHC-Ayushman Arogya Mandir and 408 PHC-Ayushman Arogya Mandir of the state.
(2) Facility based screening – Under which NCDs are screened in all district hospitals and community health centres. A clinic has been established. NCDs of all the patients above 30 years of age coming to these hospitals and their accompanying attendants. Non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer (oral, breast and cervical cancer) are being screened by the medical paramedical staff of the clinic. 13 NCDs of the state. Clinic, District Hospital and 64 CHC. N.C.D. Cancer screening is being done in the clinic.
State’s preparation for non-communicable disease prevention
Under the Non-Communicable Disease Program, all beneficiaries above 30 years of age are being screened. 15.32 lakh persons have been screened for non-communicable diseases. Till date, 13.07 lakh persons were screened for oral cancer, 7.00 lakh persons were screened for breast cancer and 0.67 lakh persons were screened for cervical cancer.
For the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, patients undergoing cancer treatment had to visit the cancer hospital repeatedly to receive chemotherapy, pain management and other day-care related services, which resulted in travel expenses and increased burden on the patient and relatives. Relatives had to face inconvenience, in view of which N.P.N.C.D. Under the programme, cancer day-care centers are being established in all 13 districts. Where patients suffering from cancer will be provided chemotherapy, pain management and other day-care related services in their district itself.
At present, cancer day-care units are established in 10 districts. In which till date 46 patients have received treatment in the financial year 2023-24. Cancer day care units have been established in 10 hill districts of Uttarakhand. District Hospital Almora, District Hospital Chamoli, District Hospital Champawat, Base Hospital Srinagar Pauri, District Hospital Pithoragarh, Sub District Hospital Narendra Nagar Tehri, District Hospital Uttarkashi, District Hospital Bageshwar, Sub District Hospital Haridwar, Coronation Hospital Dehradun. The work of setting up cancer day care centers is in progress in the remaining districts of Nainital, Rudraprayag and Udham Singh Nagar, which will be completed by the end of the financial year 2023-24.
