Team Herald
PORVORIM: Stating that the lifestyle is one of the reasons behind the increasing number of cancer cases in the State, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane told the House that the government will tie-up with some renowned cancer institutions to conduct research to identify the causes for rise in the deadly diseases.
He added that the maximum number of cases reported in the State have been related to Breast cancer, head and neck and blood cancers. While there have been a total of 1093 cancer cases reported in the last one year alone, the Health Minister added that Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMC) is in the process of setting up a full-fledged oncology department in partnership with Narayan Hrudayalaya and TATA Memorial hospitals.
Citing series of cancer related deaths amongst family and friends, including that of former CM (late) Manohar Parrikar, who died of pancreatic cancer, the legislators cornered Rane and demanded that research be carried out to identify the causes for the rising number of cancer cases in the State.
Former CM and Senior Congress MLA Pratapsingh Rane demanded a survey into the rise of cancer incidences and sought to know whether traditional local alcoholic drinks like feni and urrak could be potential causes of the deadly disease. He also questioned whether government has maintained an inventory identifying the prevalent cancers in the State.
“Do you have a study on the kind of cancers that are faced by people in Goa? Have you conducted a study on it? It is a well known fact that smoking causes cancer. But we have to also know whether drinking local alcoholic brew like Feni and Urrack can cause cancer?” he said, urging the minister to conduct the survey and place it on the table of the House.
Congress MLA Reginaldo Lourenco and NCP MLA Churchill Alemao also urged the govt to conduct detail research with the help of experts to ascertain the reasons for increasing cancer cases.
Responding to it, the Health Minister said at present no research or study has been conducted into the causes of cancer in Goa. “But we will have to do it seeking help from experts like that of Tata Memorial hospital,” he said.
He added that while cancer has been on the rise, nobody has been able to point out the reason behind it. “With the innovation and technology, we are able to detect cases of cancer more compared to the past,” he said.
“In Goa, lifestyle plays important role. It is not whether a person is vegetarian or non-vegetarian. There are several issues related to lifestyle creating problems. Along with other diseases, cancer is also coming on the forefront,” Rane said.
He further said that the State govt is serious about the number of cancer cases in the State and that facilities are being created to treat it in the govt-run GMC. He said the GMC has started an Out Patient Department (OPD) for cancer patients. He added that the process has been set in motion to appoint the Oncologist. He also assured to have a corpus fund for those patients who take treatment in TATA memorial hospital.
