With cancer incidence rising in the State, the Government has planned to start screening of the population from the village to the district levels for early detection as well as better understanding of the causes.
The cancer screening programme would be launched in two districts of Nuapada and Koraput on a pilot basis this year.
The exercise under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) is envisaged to be carried out on the PPP mode not only involving the healthcare personnel deployed at the grassroots but also engaging NGOs and non-Government medical organisations.
People would be examined for oral, breast and cervix cancers that are most common in the State.
The screening would be carried out at DHHs but cover the entire population to the level of community health centres (CHCs).
While there is no exact data on cancer incidence, Odisha accounts for second most oral cancer cases in the country, thanks to rampant use of tobacco in the State.
Incidence of cervix cancer and breast cancer are also very high.
But the cause of major concern is that more than 80 per cent of the cases are being detected in most advanced stages when cure is impossible.
The objective is to give a boost to early detection so that patients can be provided effective treatment to improve cure rates.
The screening would be complemented by establishment of day care chemotherapy facilities at the DHHs in the five NCD districts of Koraput, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur and Balangir in the first phase by the end of this year. The districts have already orders for equipment and machinery required for the four-bed facilities, sources said.
The NPCDCS programme has been conducting screening of the population for non-communicable diseases as diabetes and hypertension cases over the last one year have gone up to astonishing levels.
Diabetes prevalence in the most rural and tribal pockets has been found to be as high as seven per cent while around four per cent of the population was hypertensive. By July, more than 20.85 lakh people in the five districts had been screened for diabetes and hypertension.
Meanwhile, the integrated NCD complexes at the DHHs in the five districts are almost ready.
“The complex at Malkangiri is ready and would be operational within a month with Koraput following suit soon. The others will be ready and functional within next two to three months”, nodal officer of the NCD programme Dr PKB Patnaik said.
The complexes would comprise six-bed critical care units (CCUs) for cardiac patients, 10-bed geriatric ward, four-bed cancer day care centres, NCD clinics and physiotherapy units.
Early Detection
* The screening would be carried out at DHHs but cover the entire population to the level of community health centres (CHCs)
* Odisha accounts for second most oral cancer cases in the country,thanks to rampant tobacco use in the State