MUMBAI, July 11: Expressing grave concern over the rising incidence of cancer despite specialised knowledge and expertise available, President K R Narayanan said there is an urgent need to shift focus from curative to preventive medicine.Inaugurating the silver jubilee celebrations of Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre on his first visit to Mumbai as President of India today, he said the medical fraternity should undertake extensive research in people's lifestyle and find ways to prevent the disease.Pointing to the fact that half the estimated nine million cancer patients in the world are in India, he said the number would rise if corrective measures are not taken.Inaugurating the Department of Radiation Oncology and Magnetic Imaging at Jaslok Hospital, the President remarked that the human element cannot be undermined despite the state-of-the-art equipment available. Most diseases in a country like India, he pointed out, arise from impoverished living conditions and diet. Large hospitals should notlimit their services to the upper echelons of society and must provide relief to other strata as well.He said: ``Hospitals like Jaslok should not only be expert medical institutes but should also act as catalytic elements to help the common masses get the best of medical treatment.''
