The Central Government on Wednesday sought a report from Punjab Government over the alleged “illegal mammography tests” being conducted to detect cancer among young women in the State.
The report was demanded, following media reports in this regard, over the alleged violation of WHO norms. Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Santosh Chaudhary has shot off a communiqué to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal saying that it had been reported in a section of the media that mammography was conducted on young women, aged between 20-30 years, during 2010-12.
Chaudhary has sought a report on how mammography tests were conducted on young women. “The WHO, till 2010, had banned such a test on any women of less than 50 years of age and later this age was reduced to 40 years,” the Minister said. Chaudhary said that it was saddening that in Punjab, 80 per cent of the women tested were aged 20-30 years. “It is said that mammography test, many a times, leads to cancer because its rays radiation are many times more powerful than X-Rays,” an official spokesman, quoting the union Minister, said.
The screening was done by Punjab Health Department in collaboration with NGOs to whom an amount of Rs 60 lakh was paid. “Some reputed doctors have questioned the benefits of such an exercise,” the Minister said.