AWARENESS WALK BY RUBY CANCER CENTRE ON WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY

We all know that consumption of tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death worldwide and also a key factor in lung cancer, heart attack and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Since tobacco contains nicotine, which is addictive, it makes the process of quitting often very prolonged and difficult.

On the occasion of World No Tobacco Day (31^st May, 2024), Ruby Cancer Centre, a unit of Ruby General Hospital, Kolkata, had organized a colourful walk on 30^th May, 2024, to encourage people in quitting tobacco and fighting the tobacco epidemic. Ruby Cancer Care and Research Foundation, had also been a part of this event and shared on what you can do, make a pledge and take various actions to reduce the impact that Head and Neck cancer has on individuals, families and communities.

There were more than 350 participants in the rally and cancer survivours, who are the real celebrities had been felicitated by the celebrities of other fields and eminent personalities. Quite a few of the cancer survivours had been nominated as crusaders who will bear the responsibility to take an active role in raising awareness and helping people to quit tobacco. Ruby Hospital will support these crusaders by sharing knowledge, leaflets, brochures and helping in organizing awareness programmes in their respective localities throughout West Bengal. An important announcement had been made for Free Tobacco Cessation Counseling at Ruby General Hospital, where people can avail this facility to quit tobacco, thus leading a healthy lifestyle. Ruby Cancer Care and Research Foundation will also write to the central and state authorities to stop selling and consumption of all tobacco products within a 100 yards of any government and private hospitals like Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003 (COTPA) has done for the schools and colleges.

Around 20 cancer survivors and their families both from the country as well as international cancer survivors, namely, from Bhutan and Bangladesh, had participated in the walk along with nurses, hospital staff, students of Ruby Nursing School and College and eminent Doctors, Psychologists and Oncologists. Many well known personalities like actors Mr. Phalguni Chatterjee, Mr. Subhasish Mukherjee, Mr. Chandan Sen, Mr. Arindam Sil, Ms.Sudeshna Roy, Mr. Anindya Banerjee, Ms. Sohini Sarkar, singer Mr. Saikat Mitra, eminent sports personalities like Ms. Dola Banerjee, Mr. Anit Ghosh, Mr. Rimo Saha, Mr. Kaushik Mitra, Deputy Chief Operation Manager Commercial, Metro Railway and many others had also joined. Large number of people from all walks of life had also participated in generating awareness among the people. The colourful tableau moved across the city raising awareness among the people by giving out leaflets in the busiest parts of the city.