Community cancer screening gets good response in Ranipet
In Ranipet district alone, doctors said that more than 500 people turned up for the screening camp
Minister R Gandhi at a community cancer screening camp at the Venketapuram PHC in Sholinghur
RANIPET: The community cancer screening programme launched on a pilot basis in effluent-hit Ranipet, Tirupattur, Erode and Kanniyakumari districts on Wednesday has received a good response.
In Ranipet district alone, doctors said that more than 500 people turned up for the screening camp.
“The campaign focuses on oral, breast and cervical cancers which can be cured through early intervention,” said Dr M Prabhu district programme officer for non-communicable diseases. The spade work for the present programme was started months ago and health workers’ efforts in reaching out to people has led to the good response which was evident from the volume of turnout – 500 – for the opportunistic screening drive at health sub centres, officials said.
Around 9.50 lakh of the district’s total population being above 18 years, the scheme envisages coverage of all within three years, said JE (health) Dr Vijayamurali. What is special about this scheme is that on the inaugural day, 2,000 invite cards were given to health workers to be distributed to the public based on which they could access their nearest health facility on a day a person preferred.
“The scheme is presently being implemented in five government hospitals, 25 of the 35 PHCs and 68 of the 98 health and wellness centres in the district,” officials added. Doctors were optimistic that each centre would soon be approached by a sizable number of people once the word spread. “Counselling to allay fear about the disease is the key to sustain the present level of response to this initiative,” a doctor seeking anonymity said.
Screening for such cancers is routine in PHCs. “When a person comes to the facility without an invite card, he/she is not turned away, but tested with counselling being provided on what follow-up action. We highlight the fact that these cancers once detected early are totally curable and hence many who volunteer on their own are happy to submit themselves to the required tests,” the doctor added.
