From our Correspondent

SIVASAGAR, July 9: Project ‘Kiran’, a medical initiative of ONGC Assam Assets, successfully completed its fifth health camp recently.

Project ‘Kiran’ aims at bringing cancer detection and treatment facilities to those patients in Upper Assam, who otherwise lack the resources to avail proper treatment.

Around 300 patients from Sivasagar and adjacent areas have already availed the benefits of this free treatment facility. Dr Tapan Saikia, an oncologist of international repute has been spearheading this anti-cancer campaign launched under the ONGC CSR banner project “Kiran”.

The recent camp, which was fifth in a row was organized at  ONGC’s Sivasagar Hospital and witnessed a huge turnout of cancer patients. A total of 76 patients have already benefited from counselling with the renowned cancer specialist. It needs mentioning here that 298 patients were screened during the five camps.

Of the total 298 patients, 101 patients were found suffering from head or neck cancer, a common illness in this part of the country, where chewing betels nuts and tobacco are common habits of the people.

To check the further spread of this dreaded disease, awareness campaigns have also been launched simultaneously.

On June 29, an awareness programme on prevention of cancer was organized at Moran College, in association with Lion’s Club of Moran and Moran Medical Center. Dr Saikia said some of the contributing factors of cancer are smoking, alcohol consumption, tobacco chewing, lack of physical exercise. He further said, these could be avoided with a change in lifestyles.