Breast cancer awareness project in Patan, October 2008
Upon receiving an email from a young adult the two co-founders
of Pandya Family Foundation, Gaurang and Ela Pandya traveled to India
in October 2008 for another health awareness project. A young man from
Patan emailed Ela Pandya after he read the Newspaper article about the
breast cancer awareness project that was accomplished by Tejal and Ela
Pandya earlier in 2008. This time, since the request had come from an
individual wanting the awareness education to be provided to a specific
group of women, a different approach was planned. We enlisted a female
breast surgeon from a major hospital in Ahmedabad to go with us to
Patan. At the program, Dr. Pandya did a power-point presentation on
various issues regarding breast cancer. After the presentation he
demonstrated the technique of self-breast exam with the use of a
silicone model of the breast. Then, the two models we had brought with
us, were passed around among the women so they could get the sense of
how a breast lump or cyst might feel.
The women attendees were very engaged and interested. After the formal
event was over they all gathered around the female surgeon from
Ahmedabad to ask her all kinds of personal health questions.
We (the PFF members) also visited the local hospital Janta Hospital,
and met with the trustees to discuss the availability of the mammogram
service at affordable rates. The knowledge of early detection in
absence of affordable mammograms would prove futile. Fortunately, the
trustees at the hospital readily agreed to provide mammograms at
subsidized rates.
During the visit to India, PFF members also visited Shamlaji Hospital
serving tribal populations in rural Gujarat. The people served by this
hospital would have to walk half the day to reach the nearest hospital
in absence of this hospital. We toured the facility and found that
within the restraints of the resources, the hospital is providing
outstanding service to the tribal population. We left with a desire to
help with the hospital services in future.
This was another successful PFF project in India.
