KOCHI: Dr Chitrathara K, surgical oncologist at the Lakeshore Hospital, has won the Dr Duru Shah Distinguished Community Service Award. The award has been instituted by the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI). She was selected for the award in recognition of her contributions to the rural health sector, for the treatment of cancer. She started the Gynec OncoKare Society (GOKS). It conducts screening programmes for the early detection of cancer, creates awareness on cancer, and rehabilitates cancer patients. The GOKS has organised several free camps for patients in rural areas. Chitrathara had also served the Gynec Oncology Department of the Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram. She is the only woman urologist in the state. The award will be presented at the valedictory session of the 58th All-India Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (AICOG) in Chennai on January 25, 2015.