Cancer Survivors Have A Great Reason To Smile. It Relates To A Noble Decision By A Chennai-Based Hospital

Globally, cancer is known as the ’emperor of all maladies’. There’s no escaping it, even as its symptoms are known and it’s grave aftereffects well understood by one and all. Each year, a major killer of harmless and innocents is breast cancer. Governmental agencies and health bodies, world-over, are pumping more and more money to raise awareness about a disease that kills as silently as it empties hope for living from within.

In fact, so implicit has been the impact of breast cancer that the colour pink has emerged as a literal omnipotent symbol of mass awareness regarding a disease that stands the risk of consuming as many as 40,900* women this year in the United States alone.

But where India stands, there’s a tiny fraction of hope at least at the community level. Just a few hours back on February 23, 2018, the revered BBC carried news about a medical facility in the southern city of Chennai that has taken a brave albeit noble initiative to perform breast reconstruction at absolutely no cost whatsoever. If this isn’t a sign of great welcoming news for cancer survivors then what is, it ought to be asked?

In many private hospitals in India, according to reports, a normal breast reconstruction surgery costs anywhere in the near-about of INR 80,000. Can then, the common man whose wife, daughter, sister or just about any female member of the family afford to get his relative treated; especially a mid or below mid-range salary worker, whose bound by numerous working hours whilst living in the deep interiors of the country? In fact, it ought to be debated whether those that are thriving in plush, mega metropolitan centers like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore or Chennai sort of fortunate for living close to better accessibility of medical and healthcare facilities?

Regardless of what might be the common perception, the noble efforts of Chennai-based Stanley hospital need to be celebrated. In addition to performing free breast reconstruction surgery, the said facility is now slated to also perform breast alteration surgery at absolutely no cost whatsoever. The staff of the hospital is known to have shared that they encourage women to share about their problems without hesitating one bit. Not only does this help cancer-relatedand other patients to feel relived, it gives them a sense of reassurance that someone genuinely concerned is watching over them. Take a bow India!

*Estimated numbers sourced from www.breastcancer.org