New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Cancer care for women is a deeply sensitive issue, said Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday, while stressing the need for more healthcare facilities in the country.

Speaking at the launch of Apollo Athenaa — Asia’s first dedicated cancer centre for women here, Gupta said that it will benefit women across the world.

The new dedicated women-only cancer hospital ensures privacy and dignity and offers personalised treatments spanning robotic-assisted, microscopic, laparoscopic, etc surgeries. It also provides for a continuum of care services such as nutrition, menopausal health, onco-psychology, physiotherapy, and palliative care.

“Cancer care for women is a deeply sensitive issue, and it gives me great satisfaction to see us moving towards real empowerment for women. Apollo Athenaa will stand as a milestone in cancer care, ensuring dignity, security, and privacy for every woman,” Gupta said at the inauguration.

Calling it a “milestone in the healthcare sector”, Gupta noted that the cancer treatment facility for women “will benefit not only the women of Delhi but also across the country and the world”.

Gupta also called for more healthcare facilities, with public and private partnerships, which will boost healthcare in the country and also “ensure no one is devoid of proper health service”.

In the recent past, more women than men have been diagnosed with cancer, notably with cancers in women, accounting for the highest incidence.

A recent study from ICMR’s National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) has revealed that breast and cervical cancers are the most common types of cancers among Indian women.

According to data from GLOBOCAN 2022 estimates, nearly 54 per cent of incidence among women in India is attributed to cancers that majorly affect women, including breast and cervical cancers.

“Apollo Athenaa represents a new horizon in women’s healthcare, where cutting-edge science meets compassion, and every woman is assured of dignity and timely care. It reflects our enduring belief that India can lead the world not just in medical innovation, but in reimagining healthcare as a force for hope and humanity,” said Dr. Prathap C Reddy, Founder Chairman, Apollo Hospitals Group.

Bansuri Swaraj, Member of Parliament, New Delhi, noted the government’s “robust policies and strategic interventions to enhance prevention, early detection, treatment, and patient care nationwide”.

–IANS

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