Mumbai, March 9, 2024: On the occasion of International Women’s Day, SBI General Insurance, and Tata Capital have together joined hands with the MOC Cancer Care Foundation (MOCF) to run a life-saving initiative - ‘Breast Cancer Detection Mobile Mammography Van’. The van is specifically designed to promote early detection of breast cancer, which is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in India.
Through this collaboration, the officials said, the project aims to address factors contributing to the late-stage detection of breast cancer by providing the screening facility for rural areas at a highly subsidized rate through a mobile mammography van. According to WHO, breast cancer continues to have high prevalence in India. The report highlights that in India, breast, oral and cervical cancer accounted for 32% of the new cases.
The joint CSR initiative of SBI General Insurance and Tata Capital Ltd, aim to reach underprivileged and rural women through mammography screenings across Maharashtra over one year of operation. The van will be equipped with a mammography machine, along with a team of doctors, technicians, and nurses. This Mobile Mammography Van will travel through Maharashtra, touching the remote and interior areas of Marathwada, Barshi, Solapur, Satara, Sangli, Karad, Yewla, Malegaon, Dhule to name a few.
It will also have a provision to conduct Cervical Cancer screening and Oral cancer examination, making it a multi-utility van.
The flag off event for the initiative was held in Mumbai in the presence of Mr. Rathin Lahiri, Head of Marketing & CSR at SBI General Insurance, and Mr. Sridhar Sarathy, Chief Ethics Officer & Head Sustainability, CSR at Tata Capital Limited, and other dignitaries from SBI General Insurance Company Ltd. and Tata Capital Ltd. Additionally, all the trustees of the MOC Cancer Care Foundation including renowned cancer physicians Dr. Vashishth Maniar, Dr. Ashish Joshi, Dr. Pritam Kalaskar, and Dr. Kshitij Joshi, were present for the inauguration ceremony.
Highlighting the need for the initiative, Mr. Rathin Lahiri, Head Marketing & CSR, SBI General Insurance said, "Early detection is key to curing cancer. Women in small towns and remote villages often face significant challenges due to a lack of awareness and resources available for undergoing screening. Our initiative aims to bridge this gap by bringing early cancer detection services to rural areas at subsidised cost, addressing the shortage of testing facilities.”
Mr. Sridhar Sarathy, Chief Ethics Officer & Head Sustainability, CSR at Tata Capital Limited said, "With this initiative, we aim to create awareness around breast cancer & promote early cancer detection by providing quality screening facility at an affordable cost.”
Trustees of MOC Cancer Care Foundation said, "We are delighted to collaborate with SBI General Insurance & Tata Capital on this meaningful initiative aimed at early detection of cancer and saving lives; especially the under-served societies in smaller towns & remote villages who suffer the most due to lack of cancer awareness and the resources to undergo cancer screening.”
