Electricity Generating Public Company Limited or EGCO Group has partnered with the Kanchanabaramee Foundation to bring a mobile mammogram unit offering free breast cancer screening services to communities around its headquarters in North Park, Lak Si District, as well as to its employees and their families. The event, held on 21 December 2024 at EGCO Tower, Bangkok, aimed to raise awareness about the importance of early breast cancer screening as a preventive measure, leading to early detection and timely treatment. The initiative also sought to provide information on risk mitigation and prevention, given that breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Thailand and around the world. More than 100 women from the nearby communities participated in the primary screening, and 50 were identified as at risk and underwent mammogram screenings.

Dr. Jiraporn Sirikum, EGCO Group’s President, stated, “At EGCO Group, being a responsible corporate citizen that cares for communities and the environment is one of our core missions. We firmly believe that “a good beginning leads to positive results,” a principle that guides our sustainable operations in all dimensions. We aim to reduce or prevent the negative impact of all operations at the beginning wherever we are. In collaboration with the Kanchanabaramee Foundation, we have organized this mobile breast cancer screening service as part of our responsibility to support the good health of our stakeholders. This screening offers a preventive measure that enables early detection of breast cancer and helps mitigate risks, potentially reducing the occurrence of more severe stages of the disease. Additionally, it helps alleviate the financial burden of medical costs associated with mammogram screenings, which can be expensive.”

The Kanchanabaramee Foundation’s primary objectives include supporting cancer patients facing financial difficulties, promoting cancer prevention and control, and funding cancer research. The partnership between EGCO Group and the foundation is part of the “Mobile Breast Cancer Screening with Mammogram Machine Project,” which targets underprivileged women and women at high risk across four regions of Thailand. The project, launched to commemorate the 70th birthday of His Majesty the King on 28 July 2024, aims to provide mobile primary screening services to identify women at risk, raise awareness about breast cancer, and provide mammogram screening for people at risk. The initiative targets to reach 1.4 million women nationwide from 28 July  2022, to 28 July 2027.

Dr. Somyos Deerasamee, MD., PhD., Chairman of the Kanchanabaramee Foundation, said, “The Kanchanabaramee Foundation has been operating the mobile breast cancer screening with mammogram units for 11 years. We believe that effective screening for high-risk groups is the best form of prevention. To date, we have screened over one million women, including 400,000-500,000 who took the mammogram method. Approximately 4,700 cases have been detected in the early stages, with most of these patients receiving successful treatment, as the disease had not yet spread. This project has improved quality of life and reduced mortality rates. Most importantly, women in remote areas now have access to faster and more convenient screening and treatment, which also helps reduce the financial burden on the government’s healthcare system.”

Mrs. Siriya Sananmueang, a 73-year-old resident of Chinnakhet Community, Lak Si District, Bangkok, shared, “I learned about this activity from my youner sister and decided to take advantage of the screening at EGCO Group’s headquarters. I get a checkup every two years because I’m getting older, and I believe prevention is better than cure. Breast cancer is a much more serious condition than one might think. I’m very impressed with this project because the equipment is excellent, and the service is free. I would like to thank EGCO Group and the Foundation for this wonderful initiative. People in my community are also active in joining this screening service.”