I am thankful to Mrs. Sweety Das who connected me to Mrs. Shipra Das, Auxiliary Nurse Midwifery (ANM), Tupkhana who helped with the outreach. I am sincerely thankful to my uncle Mr. K.S Das for accompanying me and supporting me so much.
It was a unique experience meeting the women of Tupkhana village, a very conservative population. The Breast self exam handouts in local languages were very well accepted since it is free of cost and can be done at home. Most of the women I met could never afford to go to healthcare centers for regular Breast screenings after 40/50 years and when they got the BSE handouts, they were very happy. I made sure that if they feel any abnormalities or issues, they need to consult the nurse/ANM of the healthcare center in Tupkhana village who were present during the session. In future the ANMs will address Breast self examination process to the rest of Tupkhana population. The outreach was fruitful. Post event, the same evening a family from Tupkhana came to meet me concerned about a member’s breast health and it was really a serious issue. I was so glad they came forward.
Overall, tapping into a very conservative area like Tupkhana, the response was very positive. Even the most conservative population when explained, understand and try to come out of shyness when they know that Breast Cancer can cost life!
By Dr. Lopamudra Das Roy
Founder & President, Breast Cancer Hub
