Cancer awareness camp gets poor response

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 4

The free medical camp-cum-awareness seminar organised at the Advanced Cancer Institute gets a tepid response as only 38 persons registered themselves and availed the free services. The camp began at 9 am and concluded at 2 pm today.

Banking on their intensive awareness drives and door-to-door campaigns in several villages surrounding the cancer institute, the officials had anticipated that approximately 2,000 persons would avail the services provided at the free camp. But much to their dismay, only a handful few people turned up at the camp.

Finance Minister Manpreet Badal visited the venue, took a round of activities and appreciated the effort of the institute management.

A medical staffer at the institute requesting anonymity said, “It is simple. People do not want open-up about the disease. They would rather wait for it to worsen to a point so that it gets to an incurable stage. It’s ironical. People in villages are quite apprehensive about being diagnosed for cancer. Despite strenuous efforts of the management of institute, it all proved to be a low key affair today. They need to look for other effective ways to ensure maximum strength at such medical camps.”

Around 12 medical specialists from the Faridkot medical college, staff from Civil Hospital Bathinda and 40 nurses from Badal village were available to render services at the camp.

Posters were placed in the open yard in front of the institute where Dr Mahajan gave a presentation to the participants on how to self-examine cancer. He also shared the significance of maintaining personal and sexual hygiene to keep this disease at bay.

Dr MK Mahajan, Director of the hospital, said, “We had anticipated that over 2,000 persons would avail free service at the medical camp but only 38 persons attended it. People did not come as there were plenty of marriages going to be solemnised today.”