Samta Foundation presents 'Hope Express' - The Gift of Good Health, to Uganda

This noble effort by Samta Foundation is the first solid step towards, cancer care, after holding several camps for cataract screening and surgery across India and Uganda.

Samta Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation instituted by Purushottam Agrawal and family in memory of his late wife Samta Agrawal, today presented to Uganda, the gift of good health and cancer awareness - the Hope Express, a mobile mammography unit to detect the early presence of breast and cervical cancer in women.

This van, complete with state-of-the-art technology and outfitted entirely in association with the TATA Cancer Research Institute and TATA Trusts, was presented by the Chairman of Samta Foundation, Purushottam Agrawal, to the Hon. Consul of the Republic of Uganda, H.E Madhusudan Agrawal.

Hope Express, the mobile mammography unit, was built with an aim to boost breast and cervical cancer detection and awareness, particularly in the lesser accessible interiors and tribal areas of Uganda. The van will travel the length and breadth of the country and could save several thousand lives, since after all, awareness is the first step to detection and recovery.

This noble effort by Samta Foundation is the first solid step towards, cancer care, after holding several camps for cataract screening and surgery across India and Uganda.

Speaking at the inaugural event, the Chief Guest, Dr. Kailash Sharma, Director - Academics at the TATA Memorial Centre and the Guest of Honour, prominent Bollywood celebrity Suniel Shetty both thoroughly appreciated the great philanthropic work being undertaken by Samta Foundation. Considering the cause of affordable health and cancer care is close to their hearts, both personalities promised their wholehearted support to the cause and to the foundation.

The mobile unit was inaugurated and toured by the Ambassadors of four African countries - H.E Mossi Rosette - DRC Congo, H.E Maxwell Ranga - Zimbabwe, H.E Ernest Rwamucyo - Rwanda and H.E Baraka Luvanda - Tanzania, the Chairman of Samta Foundation, Purushottam Agrawal, Suniel Shetty and Dr. Kailash Sharma.

H.E Madhusudan Agrawal, the Hon. Consul, Republic of Uganda, said, "Hope Express is a dream that my older brother, Purushottam Agrawal, has harboured ever since the sad demise of his wife and our family matriarch, Mrs. Samta Agrawal. Cancer care is a cause very close to the Agrawal family, and considering Uganda has a huge incidence of cancer related cases but not enough awareness, we thought of bringing in the best of our technology and research to the lesser accessible areas of the nation.

Next month, when our PM Modi is scheduled to visit Uganda for bilateral ties, I am a part of the delegation considering I am the Hon. Consul in Mumbai, we will be formally presenting the mobile unit to the President of Uganda, H.E Yoweri Museveni.

But our cancer care work doesn't stay restricted to Uganda alone; we will be sending this unit across to the neoughbouring African countries as well. Moreover, we also have units being replicated for the work in India. Together, we wish to impact lives across the board in terms of basic healthcare and creating livelihoods for the lesser fortunate."