QUETTA: Bolan Medical Complex (BMC) Hospital Department of Radiotherapy and Oncology organized a conference on awareness about cancer on the World Cancer Day here on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, BMC Principle Dr Shabir Ahmed Lehri said that collective efforts should be made for prevention of cancer which is greatly spreading in society, especially in rural areas of the district.
He said that reportedly women were facing breast cancer in the province because there was no cancer hospital in Balochistan.
Dr Leheri regretted that there was only one ward in BMC hospital which only comprised 14 beds for a 3 million population, adding that stakeholders should cooperate with doctors in order to build the cancer hospital to decrease such dangerous disease in the province.
Health experts and senior doctors said that the role of all stakeholders including doctors, representative of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and civil society members is important to prevent and cure cancer diseases in the province.
Radiotherapy and Oncology Head of Department Dr Zahid Mahmood briefed the participants about a few statistic related to cancer.
He said that about 148,000 people are diagnosed with cancer in Pakistan every year, and almost 100,000 citizens die adding that most common types are oral, lungs, liver, cervical, breast and blood cancer.
He said prevention is better than cure, and urged citizens to avoid the usage of tobacco cigarettes, cigar, shisha, huqa, niswar, pan gutka, challiya and supari which are the main reasons of cancer and other ailments while suggesting to exercise for at least 30 minutes daily to reduce the chances from suffering from cancer.
Dr Zahid Mehmood demanded the federal and provincial governments take measures for establishing proper cancer hospital in Balochistan because there was no cancer hospital in the province and only one ward for such patients at BMC hospital Quetta.