International Women’s Day – A functional collaborative endeavour towards Accelerating Action on Health!

Through the collaborative ideation of the Diocesan Council for Catholic Women, Mangalore Diocese; Deanery Stree Sanghatan; Catholic Association of South Canara alongside the joint efforts of the healthcare partners Kanachur Medical College Hospital and Research
Centre, Deralakatte & the Indian Cancer Society, Mangaluru – a preventive health inclusive outreach health camp was held exclusively for women on 9th March at Church School, Kinnigoli in honor of International Women’s Day. The camp focused on creating
awareness, ensuring guidance for focused health interventions and the programmed approach to healthcare – to improve the general well being of the women in our communities.

The health camp commenced with the invocation and recognition of the dignitaries. On the dais were : Vicar forane – Fr Oswald Monteiro; Deanery Stree Sanghatan Director – Fr Anil D’Souza; Kinnigoli Parish
Priest – Fr Joquim Fernandez; Catholic Association of South Kanara, President – Mr Ronald Gomes; DCCW President – Mrs Gretta Pinto; Deanery Stree Sanghatan President – Mrs Anitha D’Souza; Secretary – Nalini D’Souza; Kinnigoli Stree Sanghatan President – Sangeetha Sequeira; Secretary – Mrs Gretta Rodrigues; Kinnigoli Parish Council Vice President – William D’Souza & Kanachur Doctors : Dr Ashwathi, Dr Afsal, Dr
Shreya Hegde, Dr Rashmi, Dr Habiba & Dr Simran. In the inaugural addresses Fr Ozwald
Monteiro and Mrs Gretta Pinto expressed the importance of this health initiative and the need for proactively testing. Mr Ronald Gomes expressed the resemblance of the women to salt, figuratively.

Cancer is non-communicable chronic health public crises; which when diagnosed on time – can be eliminated; adding life to years. The proactive healthcare partnership of Kanachur Medical College
Hospital and Indian Cancer Society is an earnest attempt to help educate, test and guide women on the cancer of oral cavity, breast and cervix. The Kanachur team of healthcare providers offered services on

General health check ( blood pressure and blood sugar )
⁠Ophthalmology checks ( eye health )
⁠Gynaecological checks ( incl. PAP smear tests )
⁠Surgical checks ( oral and breast examinations )

The camp saw a high level of participation of women from the villages of Kinnigoli, Damaskatte, Balkunje, Mundkur, Bola, Pakshikere, Niddodi and Neerude – demonstrating a greater
understanding of the value of preventative women’s health and utilized the experience of the healthcare professionals from Kanachur Medical
College. The campaign specifically focused on increasing awareness
of women’s health issues and motivated them to prioritize their well-being, in keeping with the spirit of International Women’s Day.

The accomplishment of this benevolent project highlights how important easily accessible healthcare and focused awareness campaigns are to empowering people and creating healthier communities. Numerous people’s lives were significantly impacted by
the humanitarian efforts of the partnering teams – which emphasised the need for more focused healthcare outreach teamwork in meeting community health needs; against the dreaded disease.

News Reports :
https://voiceofpublic.in/?p=23894