Keeping in line with the various activities being conducted by the State Government under its flagship Tandarust Punjab Mission, Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra today flagged off an advanced cancer detection mobile van fitted with latest screening facilities to provide world class preventive medical care to women in Malwa region for early detection of the symptoms of deadly disease.Flagging off the van from outside the official residence of the Chief Minister this afternoon, while emphasizing the need for a collaborative approach to battle the rising menace of Cancer, he pointed out that identification of the disease at the onset was vital to combat it besides ensuring the high survival rate.Cancer was the second leading cause of deaths after cardiovascular diseases and its increasing incidences only underscore the urgent need for us to focus on primary prevention by screening through Mamography and Pap Smear tests among women, he further added.Stressing on the need to proactively encourage and motivate women to register for preventive medical checkups, Brahm Mohindra pointed out that reluctance of women in rural areas at times leads to late detection which proves fatal. This van has been launched to especially cater to those women at their doorstep, he added.
Lauding Mr Vinod Bansal, who has collaborated with Baba Farid University for Medical Sciences for this noble initiative, he exhorted Punjabi diaspora to complement's state government's efforts to provide holistic medical care to all.Expressing concern at the rising cases of Cancer especially in four districts of Malwa including Sri Muktsar Sahib, Mansa, Bhatinda and Ferozpur, the Health Minister said that it was a matter of great concern that cancer incidence in this area was 107 per lakh.Elaborating the steps taken by Punjab government, the he said that Homi Bhabha Cancer Super Specialty Hospital at Sangrur and Advanced Cancer treatment and Research Center at Bathinda equipped with the latest diagnostic and curative facilities including Radiotherapy with Cobalt and Brachytherapy were serving hundreds of patients every year. The Health Minister said that Bhabha Atomic Research Center in collaboration with Tata Memorial Cancer Research Centre. Mumbai is setting up a 300 bedded Cancer Treatment Centre at New Chandigarh.On the occasion, Vice-Chancellor of Baba Farid University apprised the Health Minister that mobile van would conduct 100 free cancer detection camps for women who would be examined for suspicion of breast and cervical cancer.A radiologist and oncologist would travel with the van and suspected cases on screening would be referred to medical college for further examination and treatment, and in case of detection of cancer at early stage, cure can be achieved with use of lesser resources and lesser economic burden on affected families.