Merck India announced a strategic partnership with Rashtreeya Sikshana Samithi Trust, a not-for-profit organisation, under their ongoing Rural Oncology Project. The announcement was made during an event held at Shree Sathya Sai Hospital, Bangalore, in the presence of Pratima Reddy, Country Speaker for Merck India and MD, Merck Specialities; Dr B L Sujatha Rathod, Director for Medical Education, Karnataka; and Dr M P Shyam President, RV Institutions; Dr Mahesh, District Health Officer, Chikkaballapur; and Dr Raghupathi A R, Director, SMSIMSR among other dignitaries.
The event aims to bring together significant stakeholders from the government, academia, healthcare, and business sectors to initiate a conversation on the necessity of collaborating to tackle the oral cancer burden that the country is struggling with.
This initiative aims to provide residents of underserved regions of Bangalore with access to quality cancer care, including screening and free diagnostic support at the facilities of Sri Sathya Sai Madhusudan Hospital. Additionally, this project will help identify biomarkers for cancer by providing biopsy samples to IIT Bombay to further the research they have undertaken in the said domain.
Continuing its focus on enhancing screening, early diagnosis and timely access to cancer care, Merck and the Rashtreeya Sikshana Samithi Trust are working together to raise awareness about cancer care and provide treatment to people in approximately 600 villages in Karnataka. So far, under this initiative, 933 people have been screened, 60 have received diagnostic support, 106 have been identified with pre-cancerous lesions, 68 have been treated for non-cancerous oral ailments, and 2 people diagnosed with cancer have been provided with referral support.