People urged to undergo cancer screening tests at Pink bus camps

Tirupati: District Collector Dr G Lakshmisha visited cancer screening camp at Settipalli in Tirupati on Thursday, which was taken up in the district as a pilot project. He asked people to undergo screening tests when the mobile vehicles reach their villages. Those, who have symptoms, should attend the screening camps and get diagnosed early so that their life span can be increased.

He told the doctors to conduct screening tests to women in the age group of 30-60 years as first priority. Men, who have suspicious symptoms, can also be tested. The details of those having symptoms are enrolled in the app and when pink buses reach concerned villages, they will be screened. If any patients need further investigations, they will be referred to SVIMS and once the disease is diagnosed treatment will be started.

As some changes are needed in the survey app, the Collector spoke to the software developer in Vijayawada and made several suggestions virtually. He said that women should undergo screening tests without hesitation. As part of the screening, oral, breast, cervical and lung cancer tests are being held in the camps. The tests will be held during Monday and Tuesdays, again on Thursdays and Fridays.

Officials told the Collector that there are 35,008 people in the age group of 30-60 years in Mangalam and Damineedu PHC limits, out of which 22,888 were screened.

DM&HO Dr U Sreehari, DPMU Srinivasa Rao, Epidemiologist Lavanya and others were present.