A free oral cancer screening program for thousands of people living in underserved villages in Maharashtra took place in March. As part of the state-wide Maharashtra Oral Cancer Campaign (MOCC), Gabriel Project Mumbai and the Indian Dental Association (IDA), provided life-saving oral health awareness and treatment in 40 remote underserved hamlets in the Mokhada sub-district.
As part of the MOCC, specialist dentists and doctors provided services free of cost and additional referrals for specific complex treatments. Of the 2000 people participating in the program, 84 patients with signs of oral cancer were given cancer biopsies. These biopsies were sent to laboratories for analysis. Additional dental care activities based at the GPM ‘Mokhada Community Health Center’ included home visits, blood samples, scaling, extractions, and GIC restoration (filling of cavities and fixing tooth deformities).
“The ongoing oral health care program spearheaded by GPM and the IDA is saving many lives from oral cancer by treating the cancers at an early stage and, most importantly, through education and community awareness, said GPM India Director Kenneth Dsouza. “Preventive health care is the key to long-term health of our community service participants.”
The first phase in this program, which took place in July 2022, was the “Oral Health Screening Camp”
in which over 2000 patients from 40 hamlets Mokhada were screened for oral cancer and provided with individualized follow-up treatment plans.
The second phase that took place in March
2023 focused on the people in need of treatment or those showing symptoms of
oral cancer. Patients from the North and the South will be brought to the
health center for counselling, blood tests, biopsy, and basic treatment.
Phase three will focus on the treatment of
those based in south Mokhada along with counselling of patients.
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| GPM medical staff and Indian Dental Association dental staff go over logistics of the oral healthcare screenings |
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