Tirupati: Pink Bus initiative completes 100 camps

Tirupati: The Pink Bus initiative of SVIMS aimed at combating cancer in women has reached a milestone by completing 100 camps across the district. Having advanced screening facilities inside, the 'Pink Bus' goes to villages and even remote areas to screen women particularly those at below poverty line free of cost for three main cancers - breast, cervix and oral which are affecting many women.

The doctors and other staff of SVIMS go with the bus for the basic intervention.

The initiative was very much required to find out the symptoms of cancer in its early stages as it will reduce the death burden as most of the cases were now being detected in its stage III or IV.

Through the 100 camps, about 10,000 women have undergone free screening tests which cost in between Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per person. Explaining the concept, the director-cum-vice-chancellor Dr B Vengamma told The Hans India that every woman after crossing 40 years of age should undergo cancer screening once a year and keep a tab on their health.

As most of the women particularly from rural areas could not go to the health facilities to undergo screening for any disease, the Pink Bus takes care of this as it reaches them to do the needful. After initial examination, Pap smear, mammography, ultrasound and oral tests were held through the Pink bus there itself. So far around 5500 Pap smear tests, 2,000 plus mammograms and breast examination was done for about 8500 women.

"By screening around 10,000 women who are asymptomatic, so far nine cancer cases were detected and thus we could save nine lives. They were given subsequent treatment at SVIMS Oncology wing under Aarogyasri and they are cured," Dr Vengamma maintained.

She added that the government wants to detect all the screening of cancers at an early stage. It has even appointed Dr Nori Dattatreyudu as advisor to take the cancer screening initiative forward and is planning to start a cancer registry across the district under which each and every village has to be covered.

SVIMS has conducted majority of camps in the erstwhile Chittoor district though a few camps were held in Kadapa and Nellore districts too.

Meanwhile, the 100th camp was held at TC Agraharam village of Vadamalapet mandal on Tuesday. Minister for tourism, culture and sports R K Roja attended the event as a chief guest and underlined the importance of women's health through which the family and the society will become healthy.