By Our Staff Reporter
Rishikesh, 26 Apr: Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital recently organised a Cancer Awareness Camp in Rishikesh. The camp aimed to raise awareness about the increasing incidence of cancer in India and provide free consultation and cancer screening to patients.
The Chairman of the hospital, Mahant Devendra Dass, lauded the efforts of the oncology team led by Dr Pankaj Garg. The Chief Guest was Finance Minister Premchand Aggarwal, who highlighted the importance of such camps in spreading cancer awareness and encouraged people to seek timely medical help. He explained how a healthy lifestyle can prevent cancer. He highlighted that a healthy mind lives in a healthy body. He further promised that he would talk to the Health Minister for mandatory cancer notification so that the true cancer burden could be ascertained. He also highlighted various social works being conduct by the Shri Guru Ram Rai Mission.
Dr Pankaj Garg, Senior Cancer Specialist of Shri Mahant Indiresh Hospital, shared some alarming statistics about cancer in India. He informed the gathering that around 14-15 lakh new cancer cases are registered in India, every year. However, the actual number may be much higher due to underreporting of data. He emphasised a three-pronged approach to cancer control – Risk reduction, early diagnosis, and improving the cancer treatment infrastructure.
Dr Pankaj Garg, along with his team (Dr Ajeet Tiwari and Dr Rachit Ahuja), provided free consultation to patients and conducted cancer screening. The patients were given valuable insights into cancer prevention, early detection and treatment. The camp received an overwhelming response from the local community, with hundreds of people turning up for the consultation and screening.
The cancer awareness camp is a significant step towards creating awareness and providing healthcare support to the local community. It highlights the importance of public-private partnerships and the need for a comprehensive approach to cancer control. Dr Garg stated that Shri Mahant Hospital is committed to providing state-of-the-art quality cancer treatment facilities to the people of Uttarakhand at affordable prices. The hospital provides cashless cancer treatment facilities to the Ayushman and Golden card beneficiaries.
Other notables present at the camp were Dr Ajay Khanduri, Registrar, Shri Guru Ram Rai University, Vijay Nautiyali, Dr Nishith Govil, Bhupender Raturi (Head PRO), Jitender and Manvendra.
