The technology-driven mobile clinics can take healthcare to remote areas and make it easily accessible to populations in need
Pune: After the continued success of ‘Vaccine on Wheels’, Jivika Healthcare has now introduced India’s 1st ‘Cancer Care On Wheels’ (CCOW) – an indigenously built mobile cancer screening van. The CCOW can reach to remotest parts of the country to screen the rural population for the leading 3 cancers – Breast, Oral & Cervical Cancers to detect cancer at the early stage.
This initiative is introduced to detect cancer followed by providing treatment to the marginalized and underprivileged by taking CCOW mobile units near India’s Rural, Tribal and Urban slum communities.
CCOW Unit will be equipped to:
- Screen mother for breast cancer, cervical cancer & oral cancer.
- Screen father for oral cancer.
- Vaccinate girl child with Cervical Cancer Vaccine to prevent cervical cancer
Based on the output of screening if the patient needs further investigation then the CCOW team will take the patient to the nearest healthcare facility for further rounds of diagnosis followed by treatment. The ultimate focus will be to give the benefits of free diagnostic & treatment to a marginalized population.
Speaking on the initiative, Jignesh Patel, Founder and CEO – Jivika Healthcare said, “We are very happy to launch the second initiative ‘Cancer Care On Wheels’ followed by a successful venture of VaccineOnWheels. In India, the detection of cancer cases is more than 1 million and the topmost reason is the poor accessibility of healthcare facilities across geographies. To address the burning concerns, Jivika Healthcare is aiming to introduce 100+ Cancer Care On Wheels units before FY 2022. The focus of the initiative is to provide end-to-end services like cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment added with counselling to rural India with the vision to reduce poverty and mortality.”
Statistics suggest that about 1.22 lakh and 1.44 lakh new cases of cervical and breast cancers are added every year in India. According to WHO, India accounts for nearly one-third of the global cervical cancer deaths, with women facing a 1.6% cumulative risk of developing cervical cancer and 1.0% cumulative death risk from cervical cancer.
Similarly, the cumulative risk of developing breast cancer is 2.7%, and the cumulative death risk is 1.5%. This challenge of high incidence is further compounded by the unfortunate situation of late detection and low awareness among the general population.
Realising the benefits of early screening, the Government of India launched an operational framework for the country’s first national cancer screening program in November 2016. Under this, there will be mandatory screening for oral, breast, and cervical cancer in women over the age of 30. The Cancer Care On Wheels aims to supplement the Government of India’s initiative of early screening of individuals followed by treatment.
“We absolutely must change the disparities in cancer deaths and this is a critical tool that takes our expert care to the streets of the country,” added Mr. Patel. To begin with, Cancer Care On Wheels has partnered with the leading Rotary Club – RCPC (Rotary Club of Pune Central) as their flagship NGO partner. Jivika Healthcare will be more than happy to partner with Corporates under their CSR Support in rolling out more than 100 “Cancer Care On Wheels” units across India. With the support of CSR donors, Jivika Healthcare is about to roll out its first unit in the next few weeks.
Commenting on the same, Rotarian Ravi Kapoor of Rotary Club of Pune Central said, “As the cancer cases among women are on a rise, it’s very important to educate our rural population about the importance of early diagnosis & early treatment which will save lives. By understanding this need, RCPC has partnered with Jivika Healthcare’s Cancer Care On Wheels.”
(India CSR)
