Speaker Karu Jayasuriya said mobile mammography services would be provided free of charge under Indira Jayasuriya Cancer Care Project.
He said this attending the inauguration ceremony of Cancer Care Hotline Service initiated in memory with Speaker Karu Jayasuriya’s younger daughter Indira Jayasuriya, who passed away after a prolonged battle with cancer. It had been launched yesterday at No. 45/B, Maharagama, near the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital.
“We are further expecting to provide digital mammography machines to every province and district under Indira Jayasuriya Cancer Care Project,”he said.
Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine Minister Rajitha Senaratne said the Health Ministry would donate funds to the Indira Jayasuriya Cancer Care Trust to ensure the perpetual succession of the projects.
Cancer Care Association Sri Lanka (CCASL) president Dr. Samadhi Rajapakshe said a 12-hour consultation service would be rendered for free through the Cancer Care Hotline.
“Cancer Care Helpline telephone number is 011 2363211. Anyone can get cancer consultation through the helpline from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” Dr. Rajapakshe said.
“As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the only effective breast cancer screening method is mammography. Therefore, digital mMammography machines will be at service free of charge for the general public under Indira Jayasuriya Care Service project. It will ensure timely and quality diagnosis,”he said.
The Indira Jayasuriya Paediatric Care Project and the Indira Jayasuriya Care Service project which will facilitate digital mammography services are also to be launched soon.
Indira Jayasuriya’s husband Martin Dicker and their two children participated.