The Bangladesh Breast Cancer Awareness Forum has announced that they will operate on 50 poor breast cancer patients for only Tk 5,000. This will include the cost of bed charge and testing. 

The remaining part of the medical expenses of the patients will be collected as a donation from various individuals, institutions, or organizations. In all, the operation will be completed for Tk 30,000, and it will be implemented by Gonoshasthaya Social Cancer Hospital. 

The initiative is part of a 150-day program to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Day and Month. At a press conference at Gonoshasthaya Nagar Hospital in Dhanmondi on Monday, July 1, the chief coordinator of the forum, Professor Dr. Md. Habibullah Talukder Raskin, announced the program. He said the forum members, Community Oncology Centre Trust, and Rotary Club of Dhaka Golden City will provide the financial assistance. 

The trust will fund 15 patients, and other donations will cover the remaining 35 patients' operations. 

Since 2013, Breast Cancer Awareness Day has been celebrated in the country on October 10. This year, 46 organizations have jointly undertaken various awareness programs. 

At that time, Prof. Md. Habibullah Talukder Raskin said an average of 13,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the country every year, and 6,000 die. However, 95 percent of patients recover if proper treatment is taken at the early stage. 

Besides, a free primary breast cancer screening service has been launched in Dhaka under the initiative of the forum. The service will be available from 9 am to 5 pm every day in Dhanmondi and from 9 am to 3 pm every Friday in Lalmatia.