KOCHI: Giving solace to hundreds of poor patients in Central Kerala, the government has included the Kochi Cancer Centre under the Karunya Benevolent Scheme, which provides aid to cancer patients.
“We expect more patients from the lower strata of society will benefit from this decision. Under the scheme, poor patients will be given medicines worth `2 lakh. At present, many poor patients may be availing of treatment from private hospitals.
“With the Kochi Cancer Centre coming under the Karunya scheme, more poor patients may approach the centre for treatment,” said Dr P G Balagopal, medical superintendent, Kochi Cancer Centre. The scheme will mainly benefit the daycare patients, who number around 450.
“We have around 2000 patients in the OP section. Of this, 650 are new patients and over 1300 are follow-up patients,” he said.A large number of cancer patients from Thrissur and Alappuzha district also come to the Kochi Cancer Centre for treatment.
All government hospitals in the state, including Sree Chitra Thirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Regional Cancer Centre(RCC), Malabar Cancer Centre (MCC), Kochi Medical College and Pariyaram Medical College, are included in the scheme.