The Malabar Cancer Care Society (MCCS) here has drafted a 25-point action plan for cancer control to be launched on the occasion of its silver jubilee celebration.
A meeting of the society here on Tuesday finalised the action plan to be implemented during the year-long silver jubilee celebration period. The plan envisages activities aimed at cancer control and early detection of cancer, president of the Kannur-based MCCS D. Krishnanadha Pai said. The focus of the plan is to campaign against unhealthy habits and addictions such as tobacco and alcohol consumption and to create awareness about cancer care and early detection of the disease, he said.
A month-long campaign programme titled ‘Can cure Cancer’ would be launched in September, he said. The other initiatives being implemented during the silver jubilee year include job-cum-service centre for cancer survivors, free dialysis service for cancer survivors and patients, CME programme for doctors, opening of 100 lifestyle detection clinics, formation of breast cancer awareness brigades in 100 educational institutions to promote breast self-examination, establishment of thyroid clinics to control high incidence of thyroid disease, prostate clinics, observance of food safety month, extension of comprehensive cancer control project to all panchayats in Wayanad district and campaign against oral cancer, among others.
The MCCS is the nodal agency of the State government for cancer control. It has completed 25 years. Mr. Pai said that cancer awareness messages were taken to 6.5 million people through house-to-house awareness by over 50,000 volunteers.Its cancer control programme detected pre-cancer and early cancer in 2,918 persons, Mr. Pai added.
The Kannur district comprehensive cancer control programme was started in 1994. It started the first ever early cancer detection centre here in 1996. It also began pain and palliative care clinic and outreach services. The Sanjeevani Cancer Mobile Telemedicine Project was started in 2010.
