AIIMS Bhopal organized a childhood cancer awareness program at Sarojini Naidu Government Girls PG College.

CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: Under the leadership of AIIMS Bhopal’s Executive Director, Ajay Singh, the institute has organized several programs over the past month to raise awareness about childhood cancer. Recently, in collaboration with Sarojini Naidu Government Girls PG College, AIIMS Bhopal held an awareness program focusing on childhood cancer and women’s health. Executive Director Ajay Singh stated, “Our efforts to raise awareness about childhood cancer aim to empower communities to recognize early symptoms and seek timely medical assistance. We believe in the power of collaboration, and such efforts make it possible to spread critical health information widely.”

At the event, AIIMS Bhopal’s pediatric hematologist-oncologist, Narendra Choudhary, emphasized the importance of early diagnosis of childhood cancer. He highlighted common symptoms like prolonged fever, anemia, bleeding, bone pain, swollen lymph nodes, liver and spleen enlargement, unexplained weight loss, and gum swelling in children. He explained, “Children generally respond better to treatment and tolerate chemotherapy better than adults. Though there may be some side effects, chemotherapy is life-saving in most cases, whereas untreated cancer is fatal in all cases.”

AIIMS Bhopal’s medical oncologist, Akanksha Choudhary, raised awareness about common adult cancers like cervical and breast cancer, focusing on women’s health. She stated, “Cervical cancer is the only cancer that can be prevented with a vaccine. Girls aged 9 to 14 should receive two doses of the vaccine, and those aged 15 to 26 should receive three doses.”

The program saw enthusiastic participation from college faculty and students, with discussions on societal misconceptions. A quiz competition was also organized on the Kahoot platform, where Ms. Pratiksha Marko secured first place, Ms. Bhakti Bhadauria took second, and Ms. Madhavi Thapa came in third. Sarojini Naidu College Principal Surendra Bihari Goswami thanked AIIMS Bhopal’s Executive Director Ajay Singh and his team for organizing awareness activities beyond the AIIMS campus.