By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 30: The Health Department has expanded testing and is also promoting oral dental care in response to the news that the East Khasi Hills District has the highest rate of oral cancer.
“We are already working on a very significant project that aims to prevent oral cancer. We’re going to test the people’s ability to form positive habits,” Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh stated on Thursday.
“We are, to a large extent, also popularising oral dental care and making sure that the health department starts taking dental matters very seriously,” she said.
“We have enough professionals in the field; we don’t need as many dentists, but we do have dental physicians,” the minister stated, while adding, “We are trying to make sure that the public is informed about oral health at the appropriate time, with the appropriate emphasis, and with positive outcomes.”
Speaking about the general situation, she stated that very little can be done to treat cancer when it is discovered at a late stage.
“Hence, we are investing heavily in early detection. It is not about digital intervention per se but making sure that when a patient is going to a hospital or a testing centre we also do other tests,” she said in response to a question regarding digital intervention.
Giving an example she said, “Take the case of cervical cancer in women. Every time a woman visits a health centre for a check-up, we need to make sure that the patient tests for the high or low likelihood that she will develop cancer.
“Since I am not a medical professional, let me put it simply: I believe that proactive treatment is more important than reactive treatment,” she added.