Kolkata: The health department of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has started ‘free cancer detection camps’ at its selected urban primary health centres in every borough.
Civic body officials confirmed that the cancer detection camps are being held in association with the Indian Medical Association
(IMA) with the support of the Indian Dental Association and Medica Superspeciality Hospital.
It is learnt that these camps will be conducted at a selected urban primary health centre of each borough once a month for one year, on a rotation basis.
Free facilities for the detection of oral, breast and cervical cancer by specialist doctors and trained paramedical staff will be made available at each of these cancer detection camps.
On the recommendation of the IMA (West Bengal), free facilities for cancer-detecting tests such as Pap Smear Mammography and Biopsy will be provided by the Medica Superspeciality Hospital.
The first such camp was held at the Mayor’s Clinic at Chetla where the Mayor Firhad Hakim was present along with IMA president and TMC MP Santanu Sen.
A KMC official said that the civic body lately has ramped up its health care services which include setting up satellite health centres and the introduction of mobile health units.
The civic body intends to set up 40 such satellite health centres while its five mobile health units are covering 12 wards in a week and providing services such as check-ups of expecting mothers, ECGs, blood tests etc.