Berhampur: The district administration has planned to open 50 health and wellness centres in various Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in the district by March 2020. The administration will arrange free cancer check-ups for people in the health and wellness centres in order to detect the number of cancer patients in the district and make the district cancer-free.
According to Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDMPHO) R Jagadish Patnaik, some forms of cancer are curable no matter when they are detected, and some are only curable if they are caught at an early stage.
“Now the treatment of 40 to 50 varieties of cancer will be curable. Every government-run hospital in the district has been providing free-testing and treatment of cancer. Before cancer turns into an epidemic for the district people, they should be made aware of the disease”, added Patnaik.
A 2019-20 report said, 69 per cent of the total population of the district are detected with cancer. Out of the cancer positive people, 6820 are suffering from general cancer while 346 and 173 are suffering from breast cancer and cervical cancer respectively.
In India, the highest numbers of woman cancer patients are detected with breast cancer. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in most cities and the second most common in rural India. Breast cancer accounts for 25% to 32% of female cancers in all cities across India. Only 60% of women, who are treated for breast cancer survive for at least five years post-treatment in India.
The district administration has already made provisions for free treatment of cancer survivors in the district.
Advising about how to prevent cancer, the CDMPHO advised people to stop using tobacco, eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight and be physically active, protect the skin from sunlight, get vaccinated and regular screenings of their health.
