Meghalaya, one of the worst suffering states from cancer in the North East, is setting out to do something unprecedented – detect cancer before it becomes a “death sentence”.
In a bold public health initiative, the state government has started Meghalaya Mission Cancer Prevention and Early Detection to take cancer screening to communities, rather than relying on patients to approach the healthcare system.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has described the Mission as “a testament to our commitment to safeguarding every citizen through early detection and preventive healthcare.”
The goal is to screen over a million people free of charge, making it one of the biggest early detection programmes to be attempted in Northeast India.
The sheer scale of the mission is visible in the efforts being put in place around it.
Over the last year, a dedicated team has been working on recruiting field supervisors, nurses, medical officers, coordinators and support staff to ensure the effective implementation of the mission across the state.
The State Cancer Society of Meghalaya and the Health Department have conducted several rounds of recruitment and training, followed by administrative deployment of staff.