Naidu for mandatory cancer screening after a certain age
Mumbai: Cancer screening after a certain age should be made mandatory in the country, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said today, and asked researchers to make path-breaking advances in cancer prevention and treatment.
Addressing a graduation ceremony at the Tata Memorial Centre here, he also called for greater emphasis on inventing strategies in the battle against cancer.
"Two-thirds of advanced cancer cases are preventable.
Therefore, early detection and treatment are the need of the hour. The government should make it mandatory after a particular age for cancer screening. A healthy nation can become (a) wealthy nation," Naidu said.
"We should educate and spread awareness about early detection and prevention of cancer," he said.
Quoting the Indian Council of Medical Research data, Naidu said, "In 2016, the total number of new cancer cases was expected to be around 14.5 lakh and the figure is likely to reach nearly 17.3 lakh new cases in 2020. Over 7.36 lakh people were expected to succumb to the disease in 2016 while the figure is estimated to shoot up to 8.8 lakh by 2020."
The data also revealed that only 12.5 per cent of patients come for treatment at early stages of the disease, Naidu said, adding among women, breast cancer topped the list, while it was mouth cancer among men.
"According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey, in India during 2016-17, around 19 per cent of men, 12.8 per cent of women and 21.4 per cent of all adults smoke tobacco and 42.4 per cent of men, 14.2 per cent of women and 28.6 per cent of all adults either smoke tobacco and or use smokeless tobacco," the vice president said.
Naidu underlined the importance of Ayurveda to the graduating students, saying, "Medical students should try to explore if ancient Indian medical systems like Ayurveda, can offer some alternative solutions on cancer treatment."
According to some scholars, cancer treatment with Ayurveda goes back to seventh century BC, where Atreya and Dhanwanthari used herbal medicines for treating early stages of cancer, he said.
"We should see if there are some indigenous cost- effective solutions that may be useful for making cancer treatment more affordable," Naidu said.
The vice president said, "People should go back to their roots, especially the way we live and the way we think."
Awareness must be created, particularly among the youngsters, on the need to lead healthy lifestyles and avoid consumption of junk food, he said.
Naidu also touched on the need to increase palliative care centres in the country.
He asked doctors and medical students to spread awareness on the need to observe personal hygiene and maintain sanitation.
Lack of personal hygiene causes infections like HPV, which, in turn, has the potential to cause cancer of the cervix, Naidu said.
Yoga training should be imparted to students as part of ensuring healthy lifestyles, he said, adding yoga is a holistic approach to healthy living and there is evidence that it enhances the well being and quality of life.
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K’taka cabinet approves cricket matches at M. Chinnaswamy stadium: Reports
Belagavi: The state cabinet under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has reportedly given its nod to permit cricket matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, subject to certain conditions.
The decision is learnt to have been taken after a meeting held at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha here on Thursday.
Reports indicate that Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara has been directed to formulate rules along with a referendum to hold a cricket match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The cabinet’s approval comes subject to conditions, considering the report of Justice D’Cunha, which was prepared after the stampede.
The June 4 stampede during the celebrations for RCB’s maiden IPL title killed 11 people, which raised serious questions over the stadium's capability to host large-scale events.
Will RCB be playing at their home ground next year?
Stating that the “state had learned from the tragedy,” Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday, December 08, dismissed the talks about shifting Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s home games out of the city.
He also said that the Chinnaswamy Stadium is the “pride of Bengaluru and Karnataka” and vowed that IPL fixtures will continue to be played there.
On Wednesday, Shivakumar met the newly elected KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad at the Circuit House in Belagavi and reiterated that cricket matches, including IPL fixtures, will not be shifted out of Bengaluru.
“We have no intention of stopping matches at Chinnaswamy Stadium, but crowd control measures and the Michael D. Cunha committee’s recommendations will be implemented in phases,” he told reporters.
Shivakumar said the government is committed to promoting cricket and supporting fans while safeguarding the state’s reputation, adding that Prasad had sought the government’s cooperation and agreed to work jointly on the issue.
