They put forward the suggestion at an ‘International Scientific Seminar on Oncology’ titled “Let’s talk about cancer and cancer screening” organised by the Bangladesh Cancer Society Hospital and Welfare Home in the capital.
Dr Khan Abdul Awal Rizvi, secretary general of the National Heart Foundation, gave welcome speech while Prof Dr Mollah Obayedullah Baki, President of Bangladesh Cancer Society was in the chair.
As the chief guest National Professor Dr Brig. (rtd) and former advisor to caretaker government Abdul Malik said that cancer is a serious problem in the world including Bangladesh.
“Last year, World Health Organization (WHO) published a report which said non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh were causing 67 percent. Among this, 30 percent was due to cardiovascular disease and 12 percent was due to cancer. So this is an emerging problem here,” he also said.
Abdul Malik also said that the government can’t solve this alone. The problem does not come in a day, nor would it be solved in May. Then what we have to do to prevent it?
“We have to create awareness among people. The disease will be detected very early. We have to work hard to prevent the diseases. Now we should be united against tobacco items. Moreover, we have to work together,” he also said.
Dr Muhammad Rafiqul Islam, Assistant Professor of National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH), said that the number of cancer patients in Bangladesh has been increasing every year.
“Around 1.5 lakh people are affected in cancer diseases in every year in the country. Of them, 1.2 lakh died each year. Actually we don’t know the total figure of cancer patients as many villages’ patients have out in the data,” he added.
He urged the government to lay emphasis more on the various cancer diseases and increasing the number of students in Oncology department in medical colleges in a short time.
Prof Qamruzzaman Chowdhury, Dr Md Zillur Rahman Bhuiyan, Associate Professor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Prof Md Khorshed Alam, head of Oncology department of Gonoshastha Nagar Hospital, Dr Shamsun Nahar of BSMMU spoke there.
Besides, Dr. Akhter Jawade, senior consultant radiation oncologist of Apollo Gleneagles Cancer Hospital (AGCH), Kolkata, spoke on “Radiotherapy, The present Practice” while Dr. Prabrajya Narayan Mohapatra, director of medical oncology; AGCH Dr. Nipun Saha, Dr. Suvro Ganguly and others also spoke in the seminar.