Odisha to launch short-term oncology courses
BHUBANESWAR : Odisha government will soon introduce short-term courses in various disciplines of oncology to create a pool of trained professionals to disperse cancer care services in the state.
Odisha will require numerous professionals in various disciplines of oncology as there is an ambitious plan to provide comprehensive cancer care and set up care units at a cost of around Rs 1,000 crore at 11 places in the state in the next two years. The cancer care units will come up in nine government medical colleges and hospitals, Bhubaneswar-based Capital Hospital and Bargarh district headquarters hospital. Besides, services being provided at MKCG Medical College, Berhampur and VIMSAR, Burla will also be augmented.
Sources said, the Health and Family Welfare department is planning to introduce training courses in surgical, gynaecology and head and neck oncology to meet the future requirement of trained professionals. The six-month courses will be introduced at Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer (AHPGIC), Cuttack. Every year, two sessions - one in March and another in September - for each discipline can be started. There will be separate eligibility criteria based on the courses and discipline.
The selected trainees will be involved in all clinical activities in OPD, IPD, OT and ICU. They will be allowed to assist operations under the supervision of the faculty members and routed through radiotherapy, medical oncology and palliative care for a limited period.
Cancer care in focus
11 cancer care units to be set up in the state for Rs 1,000 crore
Training courses to be introduced in surgical, gynaecology and head and neck oncology
The trainees will be involved in clinical activities in OPD, IPD, OT and ICU
Short-term oncology courses in the offing
They will also be allowed to participate in the tumour board and academic activities of the institute.
A Health department official said since each proposed cancer care unit will have 50 to 100 beds, operation theatres and ICUs besides chemotherapy, radiotherapy and palliative care units, a lot of professionals will be required in the next two to three years. “The training courses will help keep the health professionals trained and ready,” he said.
Meanwhile, a technical committee headed by the director of national health mission and comprising two special secretaries of the Health department, directors of medicthe al education and training, health services, public health, state institute of health and family welfare, AHPGIC and nodal officer of cancer care as members has been constituted to take a final decision.
“The technical committee has been asked to examine the training modules and submit its recommendations at the earliest. Once approved, the courses will commence this year,” the official added.