Monday, February 4, 2013


`Cancer Awareness and Symptom Based Early Detection Door to Door Campaign’.


Madan Mohan Mittal, Health and Family Welfare Minister, Punjab released the report of the State-wide `Cancer Awareness and Symptom Based Early Detection Door to Door Campaign’.
Addressing the media at Punjab Bhawan here, Mittal informed that 2,64,84,434 persons in 50,53,447 households have been covered in 12603 villages and 217 cities and towns of the State. He said that this amounts to 97.78% population going by the census data.
Mittal said that based on the experience of the pilot project regarding Rapid Assessment of Cancer Awareness and Symptom Based Early Detection Campaign from October 2 to October 31, 2012, this campaign have been launched in the state from December 1 to December 31, 2012.
Health Minister further announced that 23,874 cases have been recorded, where people have said that they are suffering from cancer while 33,318 cancer deaths have been claimed to have occurred during last five years. The persons complaining of the symptoms out of the list of 12 enlisted in the multi-colour hand out numbered 84,453. He said that all health specialists, including the World Health Organization (WHO), stress upon the early diagnosis of cancer based on symptoms.
Mittal said that Punjab has taken a lead in such an effort while making it a reality by door to door visits, the first campaign of its kind all over the world. While appreciating the voluntary role played by the field workers, Health Minister made a special reference to the voluntary contribution made by ASHA and ASHA Facilitators in this act of human good.
The minister said that after the completion of first phase, which involved Mass Awareness and identification, now in the second phase the suspects as well as those who claim to suffer from cancer would be taken to the health institutions to confirm the diagnosis. He informed that the diagnostic and treatment facilities available with the Government would be free for them. All the suspects and those suffering from cancer have been provided referral cards specially designed for the campaign.
Mittal pointed out that the whole exercise had been carried out at a very nominal cost of 60 paisa per head with a total of about 1.7 crores rupees against a proposed budget of Rs 2.00 crores shared at 75:25 between the centre and the state government. He also informed that external evaluation would be got done from Teams of PGI, Chandigarh for this gigantic exercise done at a  very small budgetary provision of about 70 paisa per head of the population.
Vini Mahajan, Principal Secretary, Health and Medical Education said that the whole exercise has been carried out as per advice of the experts in the field and it as the only alternative available to the third world countries where resources are limited. She said the second significant factor in the success of this unique campaign has been the continuous monitoring coupled with good training at all levels. This is an exercise that would go a long way in mitigating the troubles of many a family by early diagnosis and treatment during the 2nd phase of medical care of those more than 80000 who are symptomatic. She further informed that by way of a specially designed  software  the  individual  details  of  all  the  1,51, 792  persons  are  being compiled at state level through the system of direct SMS from the field workers to the state headquarter  and as such tracking them shall be easier and systematic.
She expressed another hope that the exercise shall help the state to identify the needs and shall go a long way in strengthening the health infra structure. She said that Deputy Commissioners have also been very helpful during the campaign.
Vini Mahajan said that the timely provision of quality materials and finances by Punjab Health Systems Corporation and NRHM Punjab has been of immense help. 
Dr. Ashok Nayyar, Director Health Services stated that this step shall go a long way in finalisation of the population based and hospital based cancer registry in the state. He said that all the specialists working in the state connected with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer are being provided two days orientation training at the Medical Colleges. He said that the exercise has been successful because the Civil Surgeons have been given repeated orientation during the civil surgeons’ conferences.  He said the second phase is important as the final outcome depends on medical care, so the same shall be implemented in true spirit and there shall be continuous monitoring.  
Dr. Ashok Nayyar also said that the help extended by the Nursing institutes in the state has been of enormous help for making it a success.
Dr. P.L. Garg Executive Director State Health Systems Resource Centre while releasing the details of the man power trained said that lot many intellectual inputs have been made for imparting training to 88 State Resource Persons, More than 800 district Resource Persons, and around 4000 block resource persons coupled with the training of about 40000 field workers in about 5000 training workshops held in the field all over the state. He said that the whole campaign has been carried out by motivation and involvement of vast section of the society in general and health department in particular. He said the activities have been done keeping in view the cardinal principle of Transparency, fairness, decentralisation and accountability coupled with skill development and continuous monitoring supervision and guidance. Prompt response and decision has been the hall mark of the whole campaign. The department is of the view that with this effort the diagnosis and awareness about cancer has increased even amongst the Health staff and particularly the ANMs and ASHA.
Hussan Lal, MD, Punjab Health System Corporation, Punjab was aksi present on the occasion.

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