Calcutta Medical College & Hospital conducts breast reconstruction surgeries free of cost

In a unique initiative, the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) is conducting breast reconstructions free of cost on patients suffering from breast cancer and who require transplantation.

This is for the first time that any state-run hospital in the state has taken up this initiative only to provide treatment to the patients suffering from breast cancer. Sambhunath Pandit Hospital is also treating patients suffering from breast related ailments. The disease is spreading among the women at a very fast rate. Earlier, it was found that women were susceptible to the disease when they were getting old but now-a-days, even young girls are detected with the disease.

The Surgery department of the CMCH is going to organise camps in all the districts. In the initial level, the camps have been started in Hooghly district to detect the patients suffering from breast cancer and other breast related diseases. Camps have been organised by the surgery department of the hospital at Tarakeswar, Arambagh and Khanakul of Hooghly.

The main purpose of the initiative is to spread awareness among the people and also detect the patients suffering from breast cancer.

An Outpatient Department (OPD) is run every Tuesday to treat such patients. The patients who are detected with various breast-related diseases including cancer were being brought to the CMCH for treatment. Those who are on the advance stage of cancer and requiring breast grafting were immediately given surgical intervention. Reconstruction is done to restore the shape of breast in patients.

It was learnt that around 150-200 patients with different breast related ailments visit the OPD of the hospital. Surgeries are conducted on those

who require them, free of cost. On an average, breast reconstruction surgeries are performed on 1-2 patients at CMCH every month.

Dr KN Das, head of the Surgery department in CMCH said that as there was a lack of awareness among people, mostly coming from the districts as a result of which the patients are not always interested to undergo breast reconstruction surgeries. After being aware about the procedure of the treatment, some of the patients are now coming forward for the reconstruction of breasts.

"We are spreading awareness among the people suffering from breast cancer. It is a lengthy process as some surgeries have to be done on patient. It is done completely free of cost. In a private establishment, one has to spend around Rs 1.5 lakh for the surgery," Dr Das said.

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in 140 of 184 countries. It now represents one in four of all cancers in women. Breast cancer is also a leading cause of cancer death in the less developed countries of the world.