Breast cancer awareness workshop held for Kanyashree girls at Balurghat

BALURGHAT: An awareness workshop on breast cancer for Kanyashree girls named 'Project Pragya' was conducted at Baluchhaya Auditorium in Balurghat on Friday. The workshop was inaugurated by the chairman of Mackintosh Burn Ltd Shankar Chakraborty.

"With Project Pragya, we hope that girls in schools will be educated about breast cancer and through it the awareness will further percolate among other sections of women, especially those belonging to the middle-age bracket," Chakraborty said.

It has been learnt through discussion in the workshop that most deaths relating to cancer in women in India is caused by breast cancer, which is followed by cervical cancer.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research, the number of such cases has doubled in the last 25 years in India. Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr Sukumar Dey, who was present at the programme, said that the lack of awareness is responsible for the high rise in the number of breast cancer patients in India. "Following the alarming figure, we have arranged the workshop with the Kanyashree students to grow consciousness in them. It is true that talking about female body parts (breasts) is still a social taboo," Dr Dey said.

According to a source, the workshop was a joint initiative of Kanyashree Prakalpa and the Health & Family Welfare department of South Dinajpur district administration.

A special team from the district Health department comprising oncologists also gave a Powerpoint presentation on breast cancer before the students.

District Magistrate Nikhil Nirmal said that a special medical team will be visiting all schools to sensitise the Kanyashree girls about breast cancer. Additional District Magistrate (LR) Pranab Kumar Ghosh was also present at the workshop.