NT Reporter
Panaji
The Goa Cancer Society (GCS) has provided financial support to more than 600 cancer patients over the last decade at both private and government-run hospitals.
The society has also offered free counselling services to 234 patients through more than 650 counselling sessions.
GCS honorary president Shrinivas Dempo said that the society has tied up with Manipal Hospital as well as Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, to extend financial aid to the needy patients.
“In the past years, our financial support has reached more than 600 cancer patients, and almost more than Rs 3 crore have been spent on treatment of cancer patients as well as palliative care. GCS has also tied up with Dilasa, a non-profit body based in Ponda for providing palliative care to terminally ill cancer patients,” said Dempo.
He said that GCS has also supported 63 patients undergoing treatment at other hospitals. Dempo said that the society has introduced special cancer screening packages for men and women to promote early detection.
Speaking about the screening packages, honorary joint secretary Dr Shekhar Salkar said that since 2014, over 2,800 people have availed of this facility at Manipal Hospital. “Through this initiative, we have got around three patients at very early stage – one of pancreas, two of the uterus. Another 10 patients we detected were already cancer patients but their disease had spread. We could pick up the spread of the disease early because we had done all the tests,” said Dr Salkar.
Dempo said that GCS has organised 30 cancer detection camps, mainly in rural parts of Goa. “We have screened more than 2,500 people till now and five cases of cancer were detected through these camps. And then the subsequent treatment follows,” he said.
Dempo said that GCS has provided research grants to doctors and scholars from Goa Dental College and BITS Pilani. “So far, we have sanctioned more than Rs 30 lakhs in the last ten years. In 2023–24, we provided grants of Rs 5.5 lakh for two research projects. During 2024–25, we have provided Rs 2.5 lakh grant for two projects. One was even invited to Germany for a presentation,” he said.
He also said that GCS would continue to fulfil the wishes of children with cancer even after its partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation ended.
“The GCS managing committee has decided that we will start this initiative on our own from this year onwards. We will identify deserving children and continue the ongoing activity which the Make-A-Wish Foundation had started,” Dempo said.
