Doctors to tour country to spread message on oral cancer

City-based oral cancer pathologist and his team from Narain Seva Sansthan will take a 20,000 km-long drive across the country to create awareness about oral cancer. 

In the process they will attempt to etch their names in Limca Book of Records for world’s longest campaign on oral cancer.  

Dr Sachin Sinha said: “We are doing this to create awareness about oral cancer. We have identified areas in the country where tobacco consumption is high. We will pitch camps and educate people from rural areas.” 

The team comprising two doctors would go on the tour covering 17 states across the country. 

“We have received official confirmation from Limca Book of Records that the distance to be covered to make the record. We are awaiting guidelines for Guinness World Records,” he added. 

The team would cover 17 states from Kanyakumari to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal, Jammu, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odissa and Andhra Pradesh in a span of 60 days. 

Awareness programmes would be organised in 78 districts.

“We will organise three programmes in each district at Primary Health Centres,” he said. There will be one state co-ordinator and four district co-ordinators.

The doctors will, as a part of the campaign, give talks about cancer awareness to rural masses. Narain Seva Sansthan Secretary Dr Sachin Sinha said they obtained permission from Punjab and Haryana government health departments and await from rest. 

“We have written to Department of Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka as well,” he said. The doctors would be using LED torch to screen people for oral cancer during their camping. 

Lengthy process

The preparation for the long drive scheduled in January has begun.

“It is a lengthy process. We have started preparing movies for the same,” he added.
 The movies will be in languages of respective states to communicate the message effectively. 

The audio visual clippings would give details about location and function of regional cancer care centres (RCC), government schemes for cancer survivors, adverse effects of consumption of tobacco and other related issues.