RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: East Godavari District Collector P Prasanti announced that 31 medical teams, including oncologists, have begun a door-to-door survey to screen for cancer in Balabhadrapuram village, Biccavolu mandal.
The initiative follows reports of 23 villagers showing cancer symptoms in a population of 10,000 across 2,492 households.
During her visit to the village on Saturday, Prasanti interacted with medical teams and residents. She stated that a comprehensive plan is being developed to combat cancer, with a focus on identifying high-risk areas and studying potential causes such as environmental pollution, lifestyle habits, and genetic factors.
The medical teams from Rangaraya Medical College have been assigned to assess health conditions and analyse patient backgrounds.
Prasanti emphasised that the study will include details of those undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the district. Based on medical reports, the State government will decide on necessary measures for cancer treatment and prevention.
The survey comes after BJP MLA Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy raised concerns in the Assembly about the increasing number of cancer cases in Balabhadrapuram and urged the government to conduct medical tests and investigate the causes.