Health and Family Welfare principal secretary, I. Himato Zhimomi Saturday informed that the state government would be setting up a Tertiary Cancer Care Centre (TCCC) at Kohima by year end and also the first medical institute within two years time.
It may be mentioned that the Health Ministry had agreed to sponsor the Rs. 45 crore project with the first instalment of Rs. 13.23 crore already released for establishing the TCCC) at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima during the financial year 2016-17.
Addressing the two-day XIV annual conference of the Association of Oncologist, North East India (AONEI) at Hotel Japfü, Himato assured that the state government would give due importance to Oncology and for which he urged AONEI for their expert guidance for this vision to be successful.
He further lamented that Nagaland holds the dubious distinction of having the third highest incidences of nasopharyngeal cancer in the world.
He said according to the national cancer registry data, India has 15.4 lakh new cancer patients every year and for around 6-7 lakh patients this proves fatal. He added that 33% of the patients were in first stages of cancer and 66% in the second or last stages.
He also highlighted about the Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) scheme where patients from the Below Poverty Line (BPL) sector could avail benefits of up to Rs 5 lakhs.
Former Nagaland chief secretary, Banuo Z. Jamir, IAS (Rtd), in her special speech on cancer survivors said she herself was a cancer survivor and was honoured to address the conference of oncologists. She said in the past, because little was known about the disease and its inevitable fatality, it was referred to in whispers, shrouded in mystery and surrounded with myths created out of fear and dread.
Banuo lamented that a large section of the society, particularly the economically weaker section, had to face huge burden to avail treatment.
She opined that treatment of cancer patients, particularly those in the BPL category, should be subsidized in all authorized hospitals and the state government should consider making treatment free. She suggested devising innovative ways to simplify the process of treatment and partnerships between hospitals in the NER to reduce costs.
On the occasion AONEI souvenir and newsletter were also released by Himato and Dr. A.K. Kalita respectively.
Earlier, the programme began with an invocation prayer by Rev. Wepre Mero senior pastor CBCMHK, welcome address by Dr. Thorhusie Katiry organizing chairman AONEI 2019 while the
keynote address was delivered by Dr. A.K. Kalita president AONEI AONEI secretary Dr. Vikas Jagtap also addressed the gathering.
The vote of thanks was proposed by Dr. V. Khamo organizing secretary AONEI 2019. Oncologists from eight North Eastern states participated the conference.
Food habits main cause of cancer in Nagaland
Director of surgical oncology, Dr. Shaikat Gupta from Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata said as per their findings, most common cancer cases from Nagaland was a result of food habits like chewing tobacco, drinking alcohol and eating smoked foods products. Dr. Gupta added that throat, stomach, oesophageal, nasopharyngeal, and lung cancers were also common among patients from Nagaland.
The team of oncology doctors from Apollo suggested certain preventive measures for common cancers: stop or lower intake of tobacco, alcohol, smoked food items, and fats; exercise regularly, take green vegetables, and go for regular breast examinations for women. Dr. Gupta also recommended a health check up if a person persistently suffers from any common sickness even after taking medication. He added that since cancer is curable if detected early, so one should do regular health check-ups.