The Times of India              24.05.2013

Kozhikode corporation to carry out cancer screening for women

KOZHIKODE: The city corporation will conduct door-to-door cancer screening for women in a bid to reduce the number of cases here.

The civic body has decided to extend the ambitious Jeevanam project of Kudumbashree Mission to the entire corporation covering around 3.5 lakh women.

The survey will begin in August to identify women suffering from breast and uterine cancers.

The civic body will allot Rs 30 lakh for the project in June. Kudumbashree Mission envisaged the project in the wake of increase in number of cancer cases among women.

The project also aims at providing free treatment to those suffering from cancer.

The Jeevanam project was initiated by the district Kudumbashree Mission with the help of Malabar Cancer Centre, Malabar Cancer Care Society, Kozhikode Medical College and Indian Medical Association with the active participation of the civic body on a pilot-basis in 2012.

Eksat, HRD Training and Research Institute, Kozhikode entrusted with the coordination of the project provided training to 2,500 volunteers to conduct the survey.

Kudumbashree members during the survey asked the women to conduct self-examination of their body and to provide information about the symptoms.

Trained volunteers made a profile of each women collecting information from them and asked those who were having symptoms of cancer to attend medical check-ups conducted by experts in the field.

Kozhikode corporation Kudumbashree project officer Ramsi Ismail said Rs 6.13 lakh had been spent during the first phase of the project for the survey and the medical check-up.

"The project targeted women from poor families in the first phase. Though the survey had intended to cover around 4 lakh women, many of them did not attend the medical check-up conducted after the survey. The second phase will cover the entire female population in the corporation irrespective of their economic background,'' he said.

K K Muhammed Faisal, district Kudumbashree Mission coordinator, said that the civic body has expressed keenness to expand the scheme.

"A joint meeting of Kerala State Social Security Mission, Medical College, Cancer Care Society, District Kudmbashree Mission, City Corporation and experts will be held in June to decide what can be done to those who detect with cancer,'' he said.

"We have referred 210 women in the corporation limit for the final medical check-up. The result of the final tests will be made available in June,'' he said.