Sambalpur: Cancer survivors of Bargarh district have formed an organisation named Fighter Group to create awareness among the people on the prevention and after care of patients.
The group recently organised a seminar in Bargarh, 52km from here, on the "Need of a Cancer Hospital in Bargarh". Speakers at the meet were worried over the disturbing trend of the disease spreading in the district. They decided to form a committee consisting of leaders of various political parties, social groups and citizens to take up the matter at a common forum.
Minister of state for energy and labour Sushanta Singh said the proposed committee would discuss the issue with the state and central governments.
Rajya Sabha member Prasanna Acharya stressed on the need for creating awareness among the people, particularly the youth, not to get addicted to gutka and to maintain a regulated life.
Among others MLAs, Debesh Acharya (Bargarh), Pradeep Purohit (Padampur) and Rita Sahu (Bijepur) supported the demand for establishment of a cancer hospital and appealed to the social organisations to take up specific awareness programme in the district.
Group president Durga Prasad Agrawalla presented a gloomy picture about the disease, saying that every year about 500-700 new cancer patients were reported in the district. Oral cancer is reported mostly among the age group of 30-35 years and stomach cancer in the age group of 50-60 years.
Biswajeet Barik, 49, a mouth cancer survivor, said there were a number of patients in every village of the district. Six years ago, he had cancer and spent a lot of money in Hyderabad for treatment. Most of them are poor and not able to carry on the costly treatment.
Although the actual cause of cancer in Bargarh was not yet ascertained, the activists said mouth cancer, mostly among the youths, was due to consuming gutkhas and stomach cancer due to the use of pesticide in the area.
Bargarh being an agricultural district, the use of pesticide is much higher. This is leading to rise in cancer cases in the district. The high fertility of the land at Attabira and Bheden blocks and sowing crops twice a year also contributed to the rise in cancer patients.
A number of cancer patients narrated their experience and plight during the treatment. Subrat Das of Ichhapur village said the moment doctors confirmed blood cancer of his six-year-old son, Omprakash, he became unconscious and everything looked dark for him. Visiting Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Science and Research (Vimsar) and Cuttack cost him lakhs of rupees, which he acquired by selling land. But, the child's condition remains the same.
"It is a dream for me to go to Mumbai for a treatment at the Tata Memorial Hospital," he said.
Minaketan Sahu of Nuapali village of Padampur block said he was very happy when he was blessed with a son. But after eight years, he was detected to be suffering from blood cancer.
"With much difficulties, we took him to the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai. Now, he is almost normal," he said and pleaded the government to start a cancer hospital here for the poor.
Art of Living organisation, Nehru Association, Bargarh and Dr Susmita Tripathy and Dr Rajesh Tripathy were honoured on the occasion for their efforts to create awareness among people about cancer.
