Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 20 : Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who is himself a known Diabetologist, released a book on cancer edited by noted Oncologist Dr Ashok K. Vaid DM (Oncology) in a special session organized exclusively for the ceremony during the 3 -day virtual conference on Oncology beginning here from today.
Pertinent to mention that Dr Ashok Vaid, a Padma Shree alumnus of Govt Medical College Jammu, is a son of soil hailing from Billawar and was a member of the teaching faculty and a junior of Dr Jitendra Singh when the latter was Professor of Medicine and Diabetes in Government Medical College, Jammu.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said, he has seen Dr Ashok Vaid growing over the years and it gives him immense satisfaction and pride to note that Vaid has made a mark for himself in the speciality that he chose to pursue.
Dr Ashok Vaid, in his introductory remarks, described Dr Jitendra Singh as an accomplished medical specialist, an author, a person of versatile attributes and a performing Minister holding multiple portfolios. He referred to Dr Jitendra Singh’s monumental work in the Northeast and his laudatory role in DoPT in abolishing interviews for job selection, abolishing the practice of document attestation by gazetted officer and formulating National Recruitment Agency for common selection test.
Referring to the changing spectrum of disease in India, Dr Jitendra Singh said, over the last two decades there had been a significant shift from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases with an upsurge in disorders like Diabetes Mellitus, hypertension, Coronary Heart Disease and Cancer. Meanwhile, he said, we were suddenly taken over by COVID pandemic which has also proved to be more virulent for susceptible individuals suffering from these comorbidities and diseases.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the prevalence of Cancer has rapidly increased across the country and has begun to affect different organs. For example, while in Jammu & Kashmir, particularly in the Valley, Gastrointestinal and Lung Cancers are more prevalent, in the North Eastern region Cancers of head and neck take the highest toll.
As Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) , Dr Jitendra Singh referred to the initiative taken by him to arrange clinical training for Northeast Physicians and Surgeons in Oncology Medicine and Oncology Surgery respectively at Adyar Cancer Institute, Chennai. As a result of this, the plan would be to place at least one Cancer Specialist in each of the District Hospitals in Northeast, he added .
Hailing the National Digital Health Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Independence Day, Dr Jitendra Singh said, this is going to provide a unique health identity to every Indian citizen in order to facilitate seamless flow of information and updated healthcare. This, he said, along with Ayushman Bharat and ban on e-cigarette, have been among the major health related initiatives of the Modi government.
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