DONA PAULA: Renowned singer and activist Hema Sardesai inaugurated a Tobacco Cessation Clinic at Manipal Hospitals (Goa) here on the occasion of World Cancer Day 2022 on Friday. The theme for this year is ‘Closing the care gap’. Cancer survivors were also felicitated after the launch of the clinic.
Sardesai praised the hospital initiative and showered praises on Dr Shekhar Salkar, Head of the Oncology departnement of Manipal Hospitals (Goa), for his persistent effort in creating awareness about ill-effect of smoking and tobacco abuse. She also offered her full support in the battle against cancer.
“I am here to give any contribution without any expectations. Even to come here and meet the patients, sing to them and spread positivity, any song that needs to be made, anything with the government; where I can be of some help, I am there,” Sardesai told www.livenewsgoa.com
Dr Salkar emphasised that the target of the medical fraternity is in line with the theme and that is to reduce the gap between the cancer ailment and the treatment. He also stressed that Manipal Hospitals (Goa) has the best facility now that a Tobacco Cessation Clinic has also come into existence to provide preventive care.
Dr Gunjan Baijal called upon the cancer survivors to emerge as the ‘positive influencers’ and guide the patients through their treatment by sharing their experiences of how they fought the disease. He also urged people to drive the myths away and seek help so that the diseases can be diagnosed at the initial stage.
IMA Goa chief Dr Rufino Monteiro underlined the advances in treatment like chemotherapy thereby making the treatment way less painful and also other treatments becoming less expensive.
Educator and actor Prashanti Talpankar referred to herself as a proud cancer warrior. She thundered with confidence that cancer patients can indeed return to living their life full-on after their disease is totally cured while rubbishing the sickeningly misguiding cancer-related posts on social media. She narrated her story of how she was alert for early detection and the subsequent treatment plan that worked wonders as she maintained positive thinking all through.
Director of Manipal Hospitals (Goa), Manish Trivedi, Anushka Estibeiro of Sanjeevani – Life beyond Cancer, and Dr Devdutt Sail, Secretary of National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (India), were also present among others.
