SBI life’s ‘Thank a dot’ self- breast examination kit
Financial emergencies can happen to anyone, anytime especially on the health front. When the aberrant COVID 19 took the world by storm, it proved beyond a shadow of doubt that life is uncertain and it is not smart to plan for a crisis after it is realized to be imminent.
Financial toxicity has been a major cause for concern for people recuperating from illnesses. Be it any heart conditions, organ transplants, chronic illnesses or malignancy, as worrying as the diagnoses are, equally harrowing can be the costs of medical treatments and other related expenses. It affects patients throughout their treatments which are extensive, time consuming and cost-heavy. Some people with debilitating conditions may even have to retire earlier than they had planned which could result in a loss of income.
Unless financial security is duly planned and implemented, the mounting healthcare costs could affect the quality of lives of everyone involved. Having comprehensive life insurance that provides adequate coverage for family will offer the much-required cushioning in times of a health crisis. Also, a disciplined approach to other savings/investments enhances the preparedness for any health emergency resulting in confidence and improved mental health.
With lifestyle diseases on the rise, so are healthcare costs. But good health is a basic necessity. Therefore, these costs can neither be ignored nor negotiated upon.
One such disease which majorly affects every facet of a woman’s life is breast cancer. Be it finances, insurance coverage or life expectancy, it impacts them all. While it helps to have some amount of planning in place at least for some of these issues, most people do not address these matters until the reality knocks on their doors.
Since 2020, breast cancer has become the most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in the world. According to statistics, about one in eight women are likely to develop invasive breast cancer during the course of their lifetimes. Added to it is the fact that the cost of treating breast cancer is higher than that for any other malignancy with most of the patients already at stage 3 and beyond by the time they consult a doctor.
Two of the major causes for this saddening state of affairs are, lack of awareness for early detection and women in general putting self-care on the backburner.
Most women get so involved in shouldering a multitude of responsibilities – pursuing careers, running households, raising children – that they are left with little to no time for self-care. They tend to ignore their aches and pains, try to make do with home remedies or go for quick-fixes with off-the-counter self-medication until the situation gets unmanageable and the prognosis gets scary.
However, a few simple steps of self-examination, practiced regularly go a long way in aiding them not only to stay healthy but also to gain awareness about their physiology, not just externally but from within as well. One such process is a breast self-exam.
October has been recognized as the Breast Cancer Awareness Month for several decades, an annual campaign to raise awareness about its impact and techniques to detect it early, to ensure 100% cure with minimal cost. The most effective way of early lump-detection is a breast self-examination. It is the process through which women can regularly inspect their breasts for any change in their look and feel. Doctors all over the world highly recommend this practice as it leads to women becoming familiar with their breasts and reporting any abnormalities, however trivial they may seem.
To promote self-breast checks and to inculcate them in women as a habit, SBI Life Insurance has launched this year’s ‘Thanks A Dot’ initiative. It aims to empower women across the country to prioritize their health and to conduct self-examinations at least once a month. To aid them in this process, they have launched a WhatsApp chat bot number 8860780000 through which they provide access to numerous reading materials and tutorial videos about breast cancer, its implications, advantages of its early detection and the right way to examine breast health while also facilitating the users to set reminders in it for periodical breast self-checks.
Self-care in the form of regular self-checks and a proven investment plan, in addition to a healthy lifestyle are the sure shot ways for keeping on top of your health and your life.
Disclaimer: This article has been produced on behalf of SBI Life Insurance by Mediawire team.