Employees of Health Care at Home paint their nails in Teal colour

New Delhi, September 4, 2014:The‘September for Teal’ campaign has gained fever pitch with healthcare companies in the national capital coming forward to enthusiastically support the cause aimed at creating awareness about ovarian cancer.

Teal is symbolic of ovarian cancer, just as pink is the colour for breast cancer. September is ovarian cancer awareness month, and 5th September is ‘Teal Day’.

To back the campaign, initiated by ovarian cancer survivor Ritu Bedi, employees of Health Care at Home (HCAH), India’s first hi-tech, documented, quality homecare service provider, donned Teal-coloured makeup and nail paint and posted their selfies on Facebook to promote the crucial message of the campaign: ‘Early Diagnosis Saves Lives’.

“When it comes to cancer, women’s knowledge is restricted to just breast cancer. While fact of the matter is that ovarian cancer is also a major killer. Awareness has to be made about it and we at Health Care at Home are very glad to be a part of this campaign. With our efforts we want to maximise the spread of the message,” said Dr Gaurav Thukral, Head Medical Services, Heath Care at Home.

The United States-based Comprehensive Prosthetics & Orthotics (CPO), which focuses on improving the lives of disabled through innovative devices and techniques, created Teal banners and splashed them all over its office with a message “CPO for Teal Day” to show support for the cause. The employees were decked in Teal clothes and shared their pictures on social media to garner more attention for the campaign.

 “It is a very noble cause that is being spearheaded by an ovarian cancer survivor herself. It is a very commendable job and by partnering in the same, we aim to extend all our support to her. We wish that the message will reach far and wide, creating a lot of awareness about the disease,” said Amit Bhanti, Clinical Director & Chief Executive Officer of CPO, who is also a trained Prosthetist & Orthotist.

Referred to as a silent killer because its symptoms are often mistaken for stomach problems, ovarian cancer is a highly aggressive disease and one of the deadliest among all gynaecological cancers. However, lack of awareness means that most women are diagnosed at later stages, making their battle against the disease very difficult.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer are similar to Irritable Bowel Syndrome and other stomach problems, and this often leads to confusing of the former’s signs for the latter. It’s a highly aggressive cancer, on the rise in India, and one of the leading causes of women's deaths. Over 50% women get diagnosed in late stages, reducing their chances of survival.  Early detection is crucial and this has happen only if women are made aware.

September for Tealcalls for women and men across India to post selfies wearing teal colour accessories and makeup on Facebook, with hashtag messages and other call for action messages. Uniquely designed, the campaign uses a powerful combination of social media, online and print media to get the message out and amplify its impact.

September for Teal has partnered with India’s leading cancer charity, CanSupport, to facilitate donations to the cause and will enable women to get check-ups by setting up doctor links too.Corporates, celebrities and individuals are lending their support to the mission of raising awareness by participating in the campaign.