The Delhi State Cancer Institute (DSCI) is set to launch mobile cancer screening vans on Tuesday, on the occasion of World Cancer Awareness Day, officials said. The new vans will be unveiled as part of the government’s “Five Minutes Screening to Save Lives” initiative, aimed at promoting early detection of breast and cervical cancer.
The mobile units will be deployed on a monthly basis across community spaces and school areas. In community locations, the vans will be stationed with portable washroom facilities, enabling women to carry out cervical cancer screening in a private and hygienic setting, officials at the hospital said.
As part of the initiative, officials said women will be provided self-sampling HPV DNA kits to collect samples for cervical cancer screening to help overcome barriers such as lack of access, time constraints and hesitation around hospital visits.
“The idea is to make screening simple, quick and accessible, so that women can detect cancer early without disrupting their daily routines,” said an official from the Delhi State Cancer Institute. “Once screening will be done, the results of their tests will be shared to them on their phone number. This way women will not have to spend long hours to get themselves screened by going to hospital.”
Health authorities said the programme is designed to encourage early diagnosis, which significantly improves treatment outcomes, and to increase awareness about the importance of regular screening for common cancers among women.