Dr. Anisha Mawlong, Head of Department Oncology Department, Civil Hospital Shillong on Saturday informed that the state lacks specialists to treat cancer.
According to Dr. Mawlong the state has only two surgical and no medical oncologists.
The Head of Department Oncology Department, Civil Hospital Shillong stated that the Cancer Wing in the Hospital is being managed by a Radiation Oncologist.
She also informed that in the state one out of five males and one out of nine females has the probability of being detected with cancer.
Dr. Mawlong also said that Meghalaya tops in the cancer of the oesophagus and also the state has the highest number of tobacco related cancers.
She said that in males 70.4 percent males and 46.5 percent females who have cancer are tobacco related.
The Head of Department Oncology Department, Civil Hospital Shillong also stated that in 2023 while screening for cancer in the 11 districts of the state out of the 1093 that came forward 55 cases were detected.
Dr. Mawlong expressed concern that people do not come forward to screen for cancer even as she pointed out that early detection can cure a person from the illness.
She informed that the Cancer Wing in Civil Hospital Shillong is a 90 bedded facility but despite that there are still 30-40 patients admitted on the floor.
According to her, this year new machines like Single Energy Linear Accelerator and Computed Tomography Simulator will be installed in the facility.
Dr. Mawlong stressed, “It is not about the machines that you have, it is the skills of the treating team which is most important. We may have the best machines but if the skills of the treating team are not upto the mark nothing will change.”
She said that the government has now embarked on a journey of “prevention and awareness” for early detection of cancer.
There is a programme called the Meghalaya Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Mission.
She said that under this programme staff will be trained to screen the population of the state for cancer.
Dr. Arindam Mondal, Surgical Oncologist of Medica Superspeciality Hospital, Kolkata said that some of the cancers are preventable – which are lifestyle related like smoking and use of tobacco.
Dr. Mondal also said that cancer is curable provided it is detected at an early stage.
Meanwhile, Dr. Sayan Das Radiation Oncologist of Medica Superspeciality Hospital, Kolkata stated that he saw a lot of stalls in the city selling tobacco products despite several media campaigns related to problems due to abuse of such products.
