Bus to help cancer diagnostics in rural areas

For the first time in the state, now cancer detection will be possible on wheels. To reach out to the people in remote villages, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology is launching ‘Asha Kirana’, a hi-tech cancer detection bus.

The bus is donated by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to the cancer institute under an MoU signed two years ago.

Explaining the need for a hi-tech mobile facility, Dr C Ramachandra, director of the cancer institute said that the bus is primarily for the people of rural Karnataka. “It is difficult for the people, especially for women to travel to better equipped hospitals to screen themselves. The bus is well equipped to diagnose different strains of cancer including oral, breast, cervix, thyroid etc. The bus also has the facility to conduct biopsy where the samples are collected and sent for testing,” he added.

Asha Kirana will also conduct blood tests, X-rays, ultrasounds and dopler tests in a hi-tech examination room. The infrastructure for mammography will be installed in the coming days. 

A separate mobile oncology team will be constituted comprising doctors, technicians, nurses and drivers who can travel. The bus, yet to be shifted to the Kidwai campus, will be flagged off soon, Dr Ramachandra added.