COIMBATORE: Under the National Health Mission (NHM), a group of surgical oncologists from eight medical college hospitals across the state underwent a year-long training programme and developed a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that aligns with global standards for treating ovarian, cervical and uterine cancer.
They are now responsible for training other surgical oncologists in Tamil Nadu and also plan to raise awareness about the need for the SOP among other physicians involved in cancer treatment.
The new SOP requires official government mandates, structured training programmes, resource allocation and continuous monitoring, according to the doctors.
The initial group of surgical oncologists from the eight medical colleges will become master trainers and conduct phased Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes for senior oncologists and gynaecologists from other districts and institutions across the state. This approach ensures consistency in training and fosters local expertise within each facility. The training will cover surgical aspects, and related areas such as radiation oncology, pathology and diagnostic services.
Eight cancer surgeons, including three from Chennai and one each from Kancheepuram, Thanjavur, Thirunelveli, Coimbatore and Madurai, had attended a two-week training session at the Basavatarakam Indo American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Hyderabad at the end of 2024 and at the Government Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Hospital in Kancheepuram in February 2025, where they were trained by Japanese healthcare professionals, as the project is supported by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), according to sources.
“Following the training in skill enhancement for gynaecological cancer surgery, the participants developed an SOP that was released last month. This SOP provides detailed protocols for surgeons, anesthetists, OT nurses, and ICU nurses on treating patients with these three cancer types – from admission to discharge. The SOP aims to reduce cancer-related mortalities and morbidities,” said Dr N Selvaraj, associate professor of surgical oncology at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.
Dr N Selvaraj, one of the coordinators of the team, stated that this is the first effort to standardise cancer treatment.