Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The state government Thursday said it will soon extend the facility of affordable cancer screening to all district headquarters hospitals (DHHs).
The statement comes against the backdrop of reports of people facing trouble in this regard.
“We are in the process of making arrangements for expansion of this facility to district headquarters hospitals (DHHs) at the earliest,” said health and family welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak.
The minister said the move will benefit patients as it will help them avail cancer screening facility in their region and negate the need to go outside the state for this. The facility, which will be introduced at DHHs in phased manner, will be provided to patients at a minimal cost, Nayak said.
In June 2015, then Chief Secretary GC Pati had asked the health department to prepare a detailed project report in this regard but the expansion of this cancer care facility has been delayed, according to sources.
Health and family welfare department officials said that initially this facility will be available at seven DHHs. Cancer patients who are unable to afford medicines and are availing benefits of the Niramaya schemes will soon receive medicine through the medicine pass books, health department sources said.
