Chandra Babu Naidu flags off Oncology Bus in amaravati

Vijayawada: In a bid to save rural people in the state from cancer and facilitate early detection of deadly disease, Manipal Hospitals, Vijayawada, launched a Mobile Cancer Screening Bus (Oncology bus).

Chief Minister N Chandra Babu Naidu inaugurated the Oncology Bus at Secretariat in Amaravati on Thursday in the presence of Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi, unit head, Manipal Hospitals, Vijayawada, Dr Krishna Reddy, consultant medical oncology and bone marrow transplant physician, Dr Dharmendra, consultant surgical oncology, Dr Sarath Chandra, consultant surgical oncology, Dr Ramakrishna, consultant radiation oncology and Dr Manoj Kumar, chief of clinical services,

The oncology bus will help identify oral, cervix and breast cancers and will have various investigations avialable like- oral examination, breast screening, mammography, pap smear, biopsy and lab investigations. The state-of-the art Oncology Bus will have doctors and trained nurses and other paramedical staff round-the-clock, according to a press release.

The bus will cover 358 districts and 9,930 villages. The districts, which will be covered, are Krishna, Guntur, East Godavari, West Godavari, Prakasam, Vishakhapatnam and Vizianagaram.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Krishna Reddy, consultant medical oncology and bone marrow transplant physician, said: “The burden and incidence of cancer are increasing especially breast and cervix cancer among women and oral cancers among men.

Unfortunately, the survival rates in the country are very poor - less than 30 per cent of patients survive for five years or more post the diagnosis. Therefore, it is important that people go for an early diagnosis.” Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi, unit head, said: “We are happy to roll out the Oncology Bus for the benefit of rural people”.