AIZAWL, Oct 14 NNN: With the number of cancer patients fast rising in Mizoram, the Lal Thanhawla government is seriously putting its effort to establish a cancer hospital and research institute in Mizoram.
The rising cases of cancer patients in Mizoram has been caused by the excessive use of tobacco products by the people, according to Dr Kuddus Ahmed, secretary of Association of Oncologist of North East India who had commented this earlier in the year in Aizawl.
On Saturday, Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla had convened a meeting in connection with the setting up of a cancer hospital in Aizawl. Member of Parliament (MP) C.L. Ruala, S.Laldingliana, T.P. Khaund, Principal Adviser, L.R.Thanga, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Esther Lalruatkimi, Secretary, Health and Health department officials, discussed on the project of establishment of a cancer hospital in Mizoram.
The state government of Mizoram has been prompted to set up a cancer hospital and research institute to address the growing number of cancer patients in the state.
Mizos have the habit of using tobacco products excessively, according to Lal Thanhawla.
Among various diseases that claim lives in Mizoram, cancer claims more lives than any other diseases if the reports made by Mizoram Economics & Statistical department are to be based.
In the book, ‘Statistical Abstracts of Mizoram 2009’ prepared by the said department cancer had claimed more lives than other diseases like malaria, cholera, TB etc. The book highlighted numbers of death during the year 2004-2008.
During the year 2004, 593 died of cancer which is 12.72% of death while in 2005, 618 persons died due to cancer which is 13.18% of the total death on that year. The book further revealed that during 2006, 2007 and 2008, cancer had claimed 12.82%, 13.08% and 11.71% of the total death.
Meanwhile, according to Mizoram Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) report, stomach cancer is the most common cancer where 23.1% of cancer patients have suffered from this cancer. It is followed by lung cancer and then throat cancer followed.
On the other hand, malaria comes next to cancer in killing more number of people in Mizoram. During the same period from 2004-08 malaria had claimed, 500 lives (10.72%), 621 (13.25%), 653 lives (13.95%), 333 (6.80%) and 474lives (8.49%) out of the total death in year wise.
On World No Tobacco Day observation in the month of May last, Mizoram chief minister Lal Thanhawla had stated, “There are no people in this world who use tobacco and other tobacco related products like the Mizos do. Mizoram housed the highest number of cancer patients in India, which is very shameful. We the Mizos have a chronic habit of smoking and other tobacco products, because of which we look shabby, despite our growing popularity in music and singing”. He had also said that the Mizos’ habit of smoking and consumption of other tobacco products was their main weakness, which even makes the Mizo sports persons lagging behind others; and also it has a negative impact to our economic condition.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/cancer-hospital-at-mizoram/
