more-in Indian Medical Association (IMA), Erode district, has been assigned the task of creating online cancer registry, so as to determine if the general perception of high incidence of cancer in Erode is in consonance with the actual affliction rate. There is a protocol to be followed for legal validity of the online registry. Discussions were in progress, District Collector S. Prabakar said recently after inaugurating a conference on cancer assessment and prevention strategies organised jointly by Confederation of Indian Industry, Olirum Erodu Foundation and the Health Department. The online link provides updated information about the rate of affliction, the kinds of cancer and the intervention approaches. In terms of affliction rate, Erode was in 13th position in the State, he said. On its part, the district administration will focus on palliative care, Dr. Prabakar assured. Steps will be taken to provide Government Headquarters Hospital and Perundurai Medical College with mammogram machine, he said. The CII, its representative Abul Hasan said, will explore scope to mobilise support from like-minded NGOs and sponsor a mobile cancer detection unit, for early detection of the ailment. He advocated a four-pronged approach: environmental regulation, provision of safe drinking water, cancer research aligned to epidemiological study, and avoiding intake of food with carcinogenic content. While elaborating on the conference theme, T. Kanagachala Kumar, Joint Director - Health, said the fear about high cancer incidence in Erode district had no basis. M. Chinnasamy, Chairman, Olirum Erodu Foundation, announced contribution of ? 13 lakh for purchase of mammogram machine for the Government Headquarters Hospital. The Collector responded saying the machine could be bought with additional government funding under self sufficiency scheme. K.G.Sridhar, Joint Director (Non Communicable Disease), Chennai; K.Soundara Raj, president of Erode IMA; Principal of IRTT Medical College Rajendran; and P.Balusamy, Deputy Director - Health, Erode; also addressed the participants, mostly consisting of students of the college.

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