Activities

Clinic & Counselling

Oncolink provides free clinic cum counselling to patients and their families every Saturday at Taltala Public Library, Taltala, Kolkata-700014. Since treatment of cancer is institutional, Oncolink refers patients to member and friend oncologists at different government hospitals. Proper guidance and counselling are needed at different stages:

• when there is a suspect
• when the case is diagnosed
• when the treatment is ongoing
• when there is no scope for further curative treatment
• when palliative care is needed

Low-cost Temporary Accommodation

Oncolink, in association with Bharat Sevashram Sangha, runs Niramoy Bhavan, a temporary accommodation for cancer patients under treatment in Govt. hospitals, at nominal cost, with in-house capacity of 25 patients along with one family member each. Address: 38/1, Sultan Alam Road, Kolkata 700033. Phone: 8017328037. A free clinic cum counselling centre for pain management runs there every week. Oncolink also organizes interactive discussions and cultural programmes to boost the morale of patients and families.

Early Detection

Early detection is the most important part of the treatment protocol. The sooner a case is detected, the more scope there is to fight the disease. Oncolink conducts early detection camps for cervix and breast cancer with the help of both private and public modalities. Positive cases are brought under treatment in government set-ups.

Research

Oncolink always engages in basic as well as epidemiological research on cancer.

• Role of Antioxidant Vitamin A & E as adjuvant in radiotherapy for head and neck cancer (with Dept. of Radiotherapy, Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, and Dept. of Biochemistry, Calcutta University).
• Biological monitoring of environmental NO2, CO2, lead and benzene exposure of the Kolkata population (Dept. of Occupational Health and All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health; Oncolink co-organizer).
• Health assessment and pollution camps in villages, assisted by Dept. of Environment, Govt. of West Bengal.
• Awareness programme among school students on knowledge, belief and perception, assisted by Dept. of Science & Technology and NES, Govt. of West Bengal.
• Early detection of cervical cancer at Chakdah Block, Nadia: WHO model VIA screening covering 22,000 women in 19 Panchayats and one Municipality, assisted by National Rural Health Mission, Govt. of India.