Kolkata, May 30, 2026: HCG Cancer Hospital, Kolkata, commemorated World No Tobacco Day with an awareness programme and oral hygiene screening initiative for students and faculty members from educational institutions around the hospital today, underlining the importance of early detection, tobacco cessation and preventive cancer care.
Close to 1 lakh new oral cancer cases are detected in India annually, and many of them in an advanced stage, given that tobacco is a “silent killer”.
The screening focused on identifying warning signs in the oral cavity and head-and-neck region that may need further evaluation. Participants were checked for red or white patches on the buccal mucosa, or inner wall of the cheeks, palate, tongue and lips, counselled about the dangers of non-bleeding ulcers, swelling and changed voice. The initiative formed part of HCG’s centre-wide Prevent Addiction Avoid Nicotine (PAAN) campaign, launched ahead of World No Tobacco Day. The campaign uses paan shop-inspired kiosks to draw attention to the risks of tobacco, conduct oral screenings and reinforce prevention messaging through hard-hitting visual communication.
The chief guest at awareness programme, Prof Dhrubajyoti Chattopadhyay, Pro Chancellor, Techno India Group Universities & Central Academic Leader, expressed concern over the growing incidence of disease associated with tobacco abuse despite the knowledge of the harmful fallouts of tobacco abuse. “Let us all take a vow to stay away from tobacco and with conviction spread the message to all in our circle,” he said.
In a bid to portray how deep the tobacco abuse menace is, Prof Jacob Islary, HOD, Master of Social Work, St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata, recounted organising a similar event 15 years ago in Assam. “I had a trying time convincing doctors there not to chew gutkha just before they were to conduct a screening cum awareness programme. Thank god no one is chewing tobacco in this hall,” he said in a lighter vein.
Dr Shreya Bhattacharya, Senior Consultant, Head & Neck Oncosurgery, HCG Kolkata, said: “Of the OPD patients I see, 80% are suffering from oral cancer and of them 50% succumb to the disease because they come to us in are advanced stages.” “Believe me there is nothing cool about smoking,” she added.
“We focused our screening initiative on young people because they can be powerful partners in helping society stay a step ahead of head-and-neck cancers. Scientific awareness and conviction in one young mind can travel far — to families, peer groups and the wider community,” said Dr Rupali Basu, Regional Business Head, East & AP, HCG Cancer Hospitals
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