The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Indian Cancer Society (ICS) have signed an MoU for conducting a cancer screening programme to facilitate early detection.

The initiative called ‘Ganga Godavari Cancer Screening Programme’ by AstraZeneca India, intends to create awareness, and detect oral, breast and cervical cancers at early stages among women at specialized cancer screening camps. Doctors For You is the implementing partner for this programme in Varanasi.

The current phase of this programme will be initiated in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh in consensus with NHM and  the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

The Department of Community Medicine at the Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU will act as a nodal agency for this program. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, General Surgery and Dentistry will provide an expert team of medical professionals for provision of screening services at the Health and Wellness centre at Tikri.

ICS would act as executing agency and will supervise and ensure effective implementation of this programme at the ground level.

The first phase of this programme was implemented in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka,Till now more than 76 camps has been conducted under Ganga Godavari Programme and around 4,000 plus beneficiaries have been registered. All the positive cases have been referred to partner teritiary care hospitals for further treatment.

While commenting on this, Gagandeep Singh, Managing Director, AstraZeneca India said, “We’re making our science accessible by designing and delivering life-changing healthcare programmes tailored to the needs of the communities that we serve. The Ganga Godavari Programme has already touched the lives of more than 4,200 people and resulted in the early identification of 150 patients that were reffered to tertiary care hospitals for further management.”