KOCHI: The mobile mammogram unit, ‘Rotary for Her Care’, funded by Rotary Cochin and registered under Cancure, will now cover the 300 pending cases of mammogram at the General Hospital here.
The unit was inaugurated by Health Minister K K Shailaja on the General Hospital premises on Monday.
“Kerala has progressed a long way in cancer care. Now, the focus is on early detection which plays a huge role in treating cancer. The machine will be helpful in this regard as people can visit taluk hospitals and avail the facility,” said K K Shailaja speaking after inaugurating the event.
The mobile unit, worth Rs 1.10 crore, has two technical staff hired and trained by the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS). As a first step, the unit will cover areas falling under the Cochin Chapter of Rotary, including Idukki, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur and Ernakulam, and clear the several pending cases of mammogram in the government facilities before moving on to others who request for the service.
“We are on a war against cancer now. Not just the government, but many agencies have come together to fight it,” she added. The services will be offered free of cost.
“The primary objective other than screening, is to create an awareness about treating the early signs of cancer,” said Cancure Foundation secretary Madhav Chandran. All positive cases from the initial screening would be referred back for an ultrasound to AIMS for reconfirmation. The foundation would also follow up each positive case for the next level of intervention.
Rotary, AIMS and Cancure are also formulating a scheme to offer treatment to 100 economically backward patients. The treatment would include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation as advised by the doctor.