Making Cancer Treatment Affordable

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Cancer is one of the deadliest disease facing humanity with its advanced stages virtually still having no effective treatment available despite strides in medical technology. The need to make the treatment of cancer disease affordable is burning one indeed.

In a related development, Vice President of India, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu has asked policy makers to put in efforts to make cancer treatment affordable. Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the new State Cancer Institute Block at Kidwai Cancer Institute, Bengaluru in Karnataka , he expressed concern over the rising cost of cancer treatment. Governor of Karnataka, Shri Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy and other dignitaries were present at the venue.

Vice President called for strengthening of preventive, curative and palliative care programmes at national and regional levels to combat the rising incidence of cancer.

No doubt, huge investments are needed for trained man power and equipment necessary for offering optimal treatment, but the government should explore various policy alternatives that would make cancer treatment affordable, he said.

The Vice President asked doctors to establish a regular communication with the patients, especially in a dreaded disease like cancer. Patients and their families need comfort. They need palliative care and more importantly kind words that make the pain bearable, he said.

Empathy and patience, care and compassion are qualities that can infuse hope in the hearts of patients and calm the troubled minds of the families, he said.

The Vice President stressed on the need to create greater awareness on the dangers of pollution, obesity, harmful use of tobacco, betel nuts and alcohol, leading sedentary lifestyle, eating junk and other foods linked to cancer. It is also equally important to take up periodic screening of people, especially those at risk of developing cancer.

 

Ground pulse is that we need to establish cancer units for early detection, diagnosis, treatment and to provide palliative care in rural areas where about 70 per cent of our population resides.

UNHRC Report Impact

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News Kashmir Exclusive

 

 

On June 14, the Office of the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights released a first of its kind report documenting alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.

The 49-page report has strongly recommended UN-supervised inquiry commission to probe into the alleged atrocities against civilians by both Indian armed personnel and the militants.

 

 

 

Eminent Human Rights Activist Mir Imran, while talking to the News Kashmir stated : “The Indian state  is in denial about the civilians it’s killing in Kashmir. Civilians have been killed on a horrific scale. The report of UNHRC sheds light on how Indian security forces are responding to demonstrations that started in July 2016. It says, “Indian security forces used excessive force that led to unlawful killings and a very high number of injuries. Civil society estimates are that 130 to 145 civilians were killed by security forces between mid-July 2016 and end of March 2018, and 16 to 20 civilians were killed by armed groups in the same period. One of most dangerous weapons used against protesters during the unrest in 2016 was the pellet-firing shotgun.” Under international law, States must investigate and prosecute gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law. People in Kashmir are made to suffer and hope ‘UNHRC’ will use its good office and influence to persuade all the parties of the conflict to solve Kashmir issue once for all. The welfare of the people of Jammu & Kashmir should be overriding interest and all the parties of the conflict should respect the views and opinions of the people.

 

The political dimension of Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan has long been at the centre stage, but this is not a conflict frozen in time, Commissioner of the United Nations’ Human Rights Zaid Ra’ad Zedi Al Hassan told a press briefing in Geneva after the launch of UNHRC’s first-ever report on politico-military situation in both parts of Kashmir administered by India and Pakistan.

Recalling recent incidents of protests crushed under security jeeps, Zaid said, “Given all that we have learned, the current serious tensions including those stemming from a series of recent incidents in Srinagar, I urge the  security forces to exercise maximum restraint, and strictly abide by international standards governing the use of force, when dealing with the future protests.”