Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan calls for early detection of cancer

Vijayawada(NTR District): Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan, the chief guest, released a book on 'Minimally Invasive Cancer Surgery' at a programme here on Sunday organised by Association of Minimal Access Surgeons of India (AMASI).

Speaking at the programme – 'A Day with Master in Surgery Dr Palanivelu', the Governor said that cancer is one of the most common causes of death globally and habits such as smoking, alcohol consumption and environmental factors are the leading causes of cancer. Risk factors causing cancers can be identified through regular health check-up and can be treated to prevent cancer, he said.

Association of Minimal Access Surgeons of India has organised the programme in the honour of Dr Palanivelu, a world-renowned gastroenterologist and cancer surgeon, who was recently conferred Honoris Causa by Dr YSR University of Health Sciences.

The Governor congratulated Dr Palanivelu, who was awarded the prestigious Dr BC Roy National Award twice and said that the entire medical fraternity is proud of him. He said that Dr Palanivelu hailed from a humble agriculture background and rose to a position of eminence as a world-renowned surgeon. Due to poverty, Dr Palanivelu's parents migrated to Malaysia and he had worked as labourer in palm oil fields and he later came to India and completed SSLC at the age of 21.

The Governor appreciated Dr Palanivelu for establishing GEM Foundation for doing research in cancer, providing training to doctors and caring poor people, doing free cancer surgeries, to patients who are unable to access modern health care. He said that Dr Palanivelu made India proud by introducing the technique of thoracoscopic esophagectomy for cancer of oesophagus and Laparoscopic Whipple operation of cancer of pancreas, which were first in the world and followed as standard surgeries and said that the cost-effective techniques in modern surgery developed by Dr Palanivelu should be made available to majority of the common people at affordable cost.

Special Chief Secretary to Governor RP Sisodia, Vice Chancellor of Dr YSR University of Health Sciences Prof P Shyam Prasad, Managing Trustee of GEM Foundation Dr Palanivelu, President of Association of Minimal Access Surgeons of India Dr Vargesh, President of IMA and Surgical

Society of Vijayawada Dr Rahman, President of Arogyashri Dr

Narendra Reddy, Dr Pattabhi Ramaiah and others attended the programme.