Kathmandu, March 2, 2018: Nepal’s oldest hospital, Bir Hospital has started providing free cancer screening services from February 27, 2018. More than 100 people have undergone this treatment till date. The services have been started as the country is witnessing a rise in the number of cancer patients and when the disease is detected in its early stages, treatment becomes easier.
Dr. Bhupendra Basnet, Director at Bir Hospital mentioned that the screening for cervical cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer are the services provided by the hospital.
According to Ministry of Health, 6,178 new cancer patients were receiving treatment in hospitals across the country in fiscal 2016-17. Approximately 70 percent of deaths from cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries.
According to World Health Organization, cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and was responsible for 8.8 million deaths in 2015. The number of new cases might rise by about 70 percent over the next two decades. Globally, nearly one in six deaths are caused due to cancer.
