Marking World Cancer Day, cancer survivors from the city and other parts of the State marched on Saturday to raise awareness about the need for increased accessibility to quality care.
The march, to protest lack of availability of cancer hospitals at district-level and a demand for increased public spending on batting the disease, was organised by city-based NGO Helping Hand Foundation. The foundation’s president Mujtaba Hasan Askari called for screening and setting up of cancer care facilities at district-level.
According to Mr. Askari, the 300-bed State-run MNJ Cancer Hospital sees around 12,000 new cases of cancer every year of which over 80% are from AP and TS.
“Without proper district and mandal-level, primary care medical officers, trained in prevention and cancer care, and with shortage of diagnostic equipment for screening, most cases come to our hospital in advanced stage of the disease,” said C. Sairam, senior medical oncologist at the hospital.
The march saw several cancer survivors and others who lost their kin, mainly from economically weaker sections, participate. The marchers also signed a petition demanding affordable cancer care from the State. The march concluded at Basvatarakam Cancer Hospital where kin and patients take shelter on the pavements outside the hospital.
Demands in the petition include greater budgetary allocations for cancer, increased capacity at MNJ Cancer Hospital, a demand to wean off Aarogyasri spend in private hospitals in order to use the funds for development of government hospitals, and the intervention of the government in pushing for affordable cancer care in private healthcare.
In other awareness events, armed forces personnel participated at a programme organised at Military Hospital, Trimulgherry.
A bicycle rally was taken out to create awareness about cancer prevention. The event, which also saw participation from the hospital’s nursing staff and school, was inaugurated by Brig. K. Satyanand, SM, Commandant of the hospital.
