Continuing their campaign to make Jharkhand the first cervical cancer free state in the country, Women Doctor's Wing, IMA, Jharkhand, in association Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Department, Govt of Jharkhand today organised a Mega Women Health Camp for breast and cervical cancer eradication, at the Community Health Centre at Fatehpur in Jamtara district.

Speaker, Jharkhand Assembly, Rabindra Nath Mahato, inaugurated the Mega Women Health Camp. The chief guest was Health Minister of Jharkhand Banna Gupta. They both further dedicated digital video colposcope and cryo set for pelvic inflammatory disease and cervical pre cancer diagnosis and for treatment of cervical pre cancer, installed at Sadar Hospital Jamtara, to the people of the region.

Also present on the occasion was Sudha Gupta, spouse of the state health minister, Banna Gupta, Dr. Megha Mittal, eminent Onco  gynaecologist, Max Hospital, Saket, Delhi, Irfan Ansari, Congress MLA from Jamtara, Faiz Ahmad, Deputy Commissioner, Jamtara, Dr. Surendra Mishra, Civil Surgeon  and others.

“Women Doctors Wing, IMA, Jharkhand has made a herculean effort to launch a battle against cervical cancer in Jharkhand. I extend my good wishes to Dr. Kashyap and her team," said the Speaker.

“Women Doctors Wing, IMA, Jharkhand and Dr. Bharti Kashyap have played a lead role in spreading awareness regarding cervical cancer amongst women in Jharkhand. On its own part, the state government is fully committed to ensure zero incidence of both cervical and breast cancer in Jharkhand. Women Doctors Wing, IMA, Jharkhand has played a crucial role in developing a comprehensive road map for cervical cancer screening and eradication. Efforts are also underway to ensure mandatory vaccination to prevent occurrence of cervical cancer," Health minister, Banna Gupta said.

“We are trying our best to give proper incentives to our women Sahiya community health workers. We are in touch with other states like Kerala and Andhra to formulate a proper incentive scheme for these selfless Sahiya sisters. The union government has not been very proactive in coming to the aid of Jharkhand and our Sahiya sisters, who of late have been agitating to demand an increase in their pay. However our chief minister has directed that we need not depend on the Centre but rely on state resources to help our Sahiya sisters," the health minister revealed.

Foeticide is another area which demands our immediate attention. We are fully committed to protect the wombs of our mothers, the health minister stressed.

"Over the past 9 years, Women Doctor's Wing, IMA, Jharkhand, in association with the State Health Department, has been relentlessly organising Cervical and Breast Cancer Screening and Eradication Camps throughout the rural areas and in State run Sadar Hospitals and community health centers, empowering women, rural women in particular, to take better control of their lives  to make Jharkhand the first cervical cancer free state in the country. The Mega Women Health Camp for breast and cervical cancer eradication, organised today, at the Community Health Centre at Fatehpur in Jamtara district is another step in this direction," said Dr. Bharti Kashyap, president, Women Doctors Wing, IMA, Jharkhand.

What began by organising Mega Women Health Camps throughout the rural areas and in State run Sadar Hospitals across Jharkhand, nine years ago, has today turned into a revolution . In 2021 In 2021, after extensive consultations with the state health department and senior oncologists of the country Women Doctors Wing, under my stewardship, came out with a "Jharkhand Model'' , a low cost yet effective Cervical Cancer eradication strategy, on the lines of the WHO Cervical Cancer eradication guidelines 2030, in which it was  suggested mandatory screening of at least 6 per cent women in reproductive age group who are in high risk category or have symptoms suggestive of pelvic inflammatory disease, screening of all women, along with their female companions, turning up for ante natal and post-delivery checkups at the state run Sadar Hospitals and ensuring that 100 per cent of women, identified with cervical cancer, receive proper treatment.

The Jharkhand Module has been fully accepted by the state government which has now fixed cervical cancer screening targets for all state run Sadar Hospitals in all 24 districts of Jharkhand. In 2022 out of a total target of 2,70,678 actual screening of women touched nearly 50 per cent at 1,26,976, Dr. Bharti Kashyap revealed.

As a result of the efforts of Women Doctors Wing, IMA, Jharkhand , 13 out of the 24 Sadar Hospitals in Jharkhand have been equipped with Colposcope and Cryo Guided equipment for early detection and treatment of cervical pre-cancer, she added.

Around 573 women who turned up at the Camp at Jamtara were screened for cervical and breast cancer. Of these, at least 60 per cent of the women were found to be suffering from pelvic inflammatory diseases and were given free Kit 6 tablets. A large number of unmarried girls came to the Camp with complaints of white vaginal discharge and itching of their private parts. These girls were given free treatment with Kit 2. 

"Figures compiled by Indian Council for Cervical Research indicate that in 2015 alone, Cervical Cancer claimed the lives of around 67,000 women in India. Every hour, cervical cancer claims the lives of 7 women whilst breast cancer claims another 10 lives in the country.  Cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable and preventable  and v slow growing  forms of cancer,  Dr.Kashyap revealed.