DO YOU DIG THAT?

There certainly are some innovative anti-cancer campaigns in the US. Like the recent Dig Pink event hosted by heavy metal Playground & Family Recreation Park, Hagerstown. The event saw 15 breast cancer survivors, sponsored by Breast Cancer Awareness— Cumberland Valley, getting together at the park for Dig Pink. The survivors got to use small excavators for fun activities ranging from ripping apart pink cars, stacking tyres and playing excavator basketball. Doesn’t that sound like a whole lot of fun?

A GOOD FIGHT IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Qatar recently saw its fourth annual cancer awareness programme organised by Pakistan Professionals Forum Qatar (PPFQ). The event, thronged by a host of Pakistani expats, was organised in association with Qatar Cancer Society and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre (SKMCHRC), Lahore. The PPFQ highlighted the immense contributions of SKMCHRC in fighting cancer in their home country, along with spreading awareness on cancer prevention. “We follow the policy of equality both for those who pay and those who cannot. Last year we started a separate children emergency room. We have also installed an MRI scanner for free tests,” said Dr Muhammad Aasim Yusuf, chief medical officer of SKMCHRC, at the event.

MOTHERS FIRST

In an imperative to educate their students’ parents about cancer, Blue Bells Group of Schools, Gurugram, organised Empezar—A Beginning. This health and wellness fiesta also included a breast and cervical cancer awareness programme, led by Dr Alka Saxena, deputy director (health & wellness) of the group. The chief speaker at the programme was Dr Divya Sehra, associate consultant in gynaecological oncology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram.

OLD, NOT DOWN

Cancer could affect one in four Singaporeans. Armed with this data, the charity called #Checked Movement recently held a free cancer screening programme for over 500 residents of Ans Rio Rio GRC and Sengkang West SMC. The screenings for stomach cancer aimed to lay emphasis on the fact that early detection can save lives, say Mark Cheng and Isaac Ho, co-founders of the movement. The organisation tied up with a top medical technology leader to provide a simple blood test that could detect stomach cancer.

PREVENT THAT CANCER

As part of its 11th anniversary celebrations in Jaipur, the Times of India held a cancer awareness talk show, with the theme, Awareness is the Best Prevention. More than 600 people attended the event, inaugurated by Dr Raja Babu Panwar, vice-chancellor, Rajasthan University of Health Sciences. Dr Sundeep Jain, a specialist in gastro-intestinal cancer, delivered the expert talk at the event. fitness by increasing physical activities.