BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has envisioned a game changing proposal for making cancer care and follow up services available in district hospitals.
After a discussion on the issue at the high level meeting here, Chief Secretary GC Pati directed the Health and Family Welfare Department to work out a detailed project report within shortest possible time for approval of the Government.
The Chief Secretary asked the department to constitute an expert committee to carry forward the proposal. The All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar and Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre, Cuttack have been asked to cooperate with the department in the preparation of the project report.
Making a presentation on various technical and clinical aspects of the proposal, medical oncologist of national repute Dr Dinesh Pendhakar and Dr CS Tripathy said cancer care can be decentralised. With appropriate training and arrangements, district hospitals can administer chemo.
“The doctors can also manage the post operation care and follow up for which the patient will not be required to run to specialised hospitals located at far off urban centres,” they said. Since best quality medicines are available in the market, those can be procured by authorities concerned through any mode as deemed proper for the State and people, the experts said.
The programme can be implemented through a partnership by involving community leaders and health workers. Apart from creating intensive awareness and prevention education on cancer, early detection and cancer screening at local level, timely referral to tertiary care centres for surgery and adjuvant treatment planning, post treatment surveillance, providing palliative care and other services should be part of the programme.
The Chief Secretary advised the department to adopt a multi-sectoral collaborative approach among Government hospitals, centres of excellence for cancer, pharmaceutical companies producing life saving medicines for cancer, medical officers, doctors placed at district hospitals and people’s representatives including the volunteers and health workers.
The doctors and cancer experts can be brought together through WhatsApp and tele-medicine systems for real time consultation and care.
Pati said there is a need for such facilities at district hospitals and this would save the patients from various types of exploitations.
