Vedanta Group's BALCO Medical Centre (BMC) has signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Switzerland-based The DEAR Foundation and the Translational AI for Networked Universal Healthcare (TANUH) Foundation to strengthen early breast cancer detection and care in India.

Announced during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the partnerships aim to improve breast health awareness, early diagnosis and access to technology-enabled screening.

Under its partnership with The DEAR Foundation, BMC will promote the Dear You app, which provides step-by-step breast self-examination guidance in 11 languages, including Hindi. The free app also offers reminders to encourage regular self-checks, particularly among women in resource-constrained communities.

BMC will collaborate with the TANUH Foundation at IISc Bengaluru to develop an AI-enabled breast cancer screening tool tailored to Indian women. The hospital will contribute clinical and mammography data while maintaining patient confidentiality. The proposed tool will assess breast cancer risk and help prioritise women requiring mammography.

BMC also operates a Comprehensive Breast Health Clinic managed by an all-women multidisciplinary team, providing services from early detection and diagnosis to treatment and rehabilitation.

The 170-bed oncology facility in Naya Raipur, Chhattisgarh, has recorded over 500,000 outpatient visits and treated more than 76,000 patients. Its services include medical, surgical and radiation oncology, bone marrow transplantation and palliative care.

Through these partnerships, BMC aims to expand access to breast cancer screening, support timely diagnosis and improve patient outcomes.