Port Blair, Aug 12: The office bearers and staff of UNNATI have deeply mourned the sad demise of Smti. Perveen Mohammed W/o C. Mohammed President, UNNATI on 08.08.2012. She was a great support to UNNATI.
She because of her experience as Chairman, Project Implementation Committee for 3 years during eighties in Great Nicobar guided & supported President, UNNATI in the implementation of UNICEF supported Improving access to mother and child health care project of UNNATI for 2 years (2006-2008). She was life member and former Vice President, UNNATI for the period from 2000 to 2008 but subsequently discontinued because of her illness.
She was ailing from breast cancer-a case detected at last stage due to lack of awareness. During the course of her 3 years treatment of breast cancer in Apollo Hospital Chennai she met and discussed a large number of cancer patients of A & N Islands.
The increasing number of cancer cases may not be in the records of the Directorate of Health Service because general public and those who are not in service directly approach cancer hospital in mainland in the absence of oncologist and other related infrastructure for treating cancer in Port Blair Hospital. Therefore, she has been constantly insisting UNNATI to start awareness education programme on breast cancer considering the fact that over 40000 women die every year in India due to breast cancer, because it deducted a very late stage.
Early deduced can treat & cure breast cancer disease. On her advice UNNATI already started breast cancer education programme and the first programme was conducted at Baratang on 15.07.2012.
As per her desire and will a portion of her saving would be utilized for cancer awareness education programme so that cases could be deducted early. The administration may kindly consider to train the technique of self examination of breast cancer to members of Self Help Groups, Mahila Mondal and lady members of Panchayat to enable self-examination by themselves locally for which UNNATI staff & volunteers will extend support besides establishment of mammograms machines for deducting breast cancer at early stage and arrangement of occasional visit of oncologist for short period till Andaman has its own oncologist in G.B. Pant Hospital.
