Prez Murmu urges families to encourage women to speak up about their health issues
Bengaluru, Jan 3: President Droupadi Murmu urged people on Friday to encourage women in their households to openly discuss their health-related issues.
Many times, women in a family do not receive timely diagnosis and treatment for their health issues. This may be due to traditional mindsets where addressing their health concerns is not a priority for the family, including the women themselves. Such delays, especially in cases of cancer, can be critical, said Murmu, delivering the key-note speech after inaugurating KLE Cancer Hospital in Belagavi.
She also emphasised that society, as a whole, needs to take women's health more seriously and actively contribute to their care, ensuring they receive timely and appropriate treatment.
Murmu highlighted a global study identifying cancer as a leading cause of death worldwide.
In 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths globally. In India, the incidence of cancer is approximately 100 cases for every one lakh people, she said.
She mentioned that, according to a study by the Indian Council of Medical Research, the incidence of cancer in India is expected to increase by about 13 per cent in 2025 compared to 2020.
The setting up of a state-of-the-art cancer hospital in Belagavi is a significant step toward providing specialised cancer treatment and palliative care to the people, Murmu said.
She also said that according to a globally respected medical journal, there has been a significant improvement in the timely initiation of cancer treatment due to the Ayushman Bharat Jan Arogya Yojana.
The duration between cancer diagnosis and the beginning of treatment has been reduced compared to the period before the launch of this scheme, particularly for low-income groups, Murmu added.
Now that the scope of the scheme has been expanded to include all senior citizens aged 70 and above, Murmu said this will further help senior citizens access affordable healthcare services for various diseases, including cancer.
The President also underscored the need for greater awareness regarding the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.
"We come across many cases where, either due to the ignorance of the patient and family or financial constraints, the diagnosis and treatment of diseases are delayed. In the case of cancer, this can prove fatal," Murmu said.
Union Minister for Consumer Affairs Prahlad Joshi, who was also present, spoke about the origins of KLE Society in Belagavi.
"It was seven school teachers who came together nearly 100 years ago, contributing from their meagre salaries to start the KLE (Karnataka Lingayat Education) Society," he said.
Today, it has grown into a massive institution, running over 300 establishments engaged in education, healthcare, and research across Karnataka and Maharashtra, he added, expressing gratitude to the President for inaugurating the cancer hospital in Belagavi.
There was no full-fledged cancer hospital in this region, and people had to travel to Bengaluru for treatment, he added.
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
