Naidu makes a case for healthy eating

Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday sounded a word of caution on cancer, saying the number of cases is expected to touch 17.3 lakh by 2020.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the State Cancer Institute centre at Kidwai Memorial Institute of oncology in the city. Quoting figures from the Indian Council for Medical Research, Naidu said the number of deaths from cancer is likely to reach 8.8 lakh by 2020.

“Breast cancer is the most common among women, while the incidence of mouth cancer is highest among men. Clearly, this is a major healthcare challenge that needs to be effectively addressed,” said Naidu, who began his speech in Kannada and used a sprinkling of Hindi, Telugu and English.

“I am happy that this institute has taken a major leap in extending state-of-the-art cancer treatment through robotic surgery and hi-tech linear accelerator facilities,” he said. Kidwai is being upgraded as a state cancer institute at the cost of Rs 120 crore. Naidu also had a piece of advice on eating habits — follow traditional dietary style and consume what our ancestors had.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy said the government will soon offer bone marrow transplantation facilities in government hospitals.