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Bhubaneswar, June 20: In a bid to provide cancer treatment at all district headquarters hospitals across the state, Chief Secretary Gokul Chandra Pati Saturday asked the health and family welfare department to submit a detailed project report (DPR) in this regard.
A high-level meeting was presided over by Pati where health and family welfare (H&FW) secretary Arati Ahuja outlined the issues for discussion and a national-level medical oncologist Dinesh Pendhakar along with CS Tripathy made a presentation on the various technical and clinical aspects of the
proposal.
Considering the presentation, Pati said there is a need for cancer care facilities at district hospitals as this would save patients the trouble of travelling to faraway places for treatment.
Pati also directed the health department to work out a project report within the shortest possible time in order to obtain the approval of the government.
The Chief Secretary has also directed the constitution of an expert committee to execute the proposal. All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS)-Bhubaneswar and Acharya Harihar Cancer Care Centre in Cuttack have been asked to take the lead in this matter.
Experts said cancer care can be decentralised and with appropriate training and arrangements, district hospitals too can administer chemotherapy.
The Chief Secretary advised adoption of a multi-sectoral collaborative approach among the government, centres of excellence for cancer, pharmaceutical companies producing lifesaving medicines for cancer, medical officers, doctors at all district hospitals and representatives including volunteers and health workers.
The programme will also be helpful in creating intensive awareness and preventive education on cancer, cancer-screening at local level and early detection, timely referral to tertiary care centers for surgery and adjuvant treatment planning, post-treatment surveillance, providing palliative care and other services, an official said.
Doctors and cancer experts can be brought together through mobile networking apps and telemedicine systems for real-time consultation and care, the official informed.
