City’s giant lung makes it to Limca Book of Records

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Generating awareness about the ill effects of smoking and use of other forms of tobacco to mark World No-Tobacco Day, Healthcare Global Enterprise (HCG) Hospital on Thursday formed the largest model of a human lung in India.

The lung is 8.5 feet in height and 10 feet in width. The structure of the lung made out of thermocol shows a healthy lung on one side and a smoker’s lung on the other side. The feat was recognised by the Limca Book of Records and will be featured in its 2013 edition.

Speaking on the occasion, Dinesh Madhavan, director, HCG, said, "According to WHO reports, in India, 11 per 100,000 males and 3 per 100,000 females are diagnosed with lung cancer. Lung cancer is among the five main types of cancer leading to overall cancer mortality contributing about 1.3 million deaths a year globally."

"There has been a drastic increase in cancers of the lung, head and neck due to increased consumption of tobacco. By creating the largest structure of a healthy lung and a tobacco-abused lung, we are trying to educate the public about the harmful effects of tobacco."

"The anti tobacco act should be enforced strongly,” said Dr Ashok Shenoy, consultant, head and neck surgeon at HCG. “Awareness should be created among those at the impressionable age of 13, where 60 % of them would have tried tobacco products at least once. It is time to get our act together and encourage the ban on tobacco products in the State by awareness, education and legislation."