Wednesday, March 11, 2015

State Moves Centre for Cancer Care Facility at Capital Hospital

The New Indian Express, March 9, 2015
BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has moved the Centre for establishment of a Tertiary Care Cancer Centre (TCCC) at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar.
The TCCC would not only enhance cancer care services for the Capital City region and adjoining districts but also ease the burden on Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC) at Cuttack. The Capital Hospital complies with all statutory requirements for setting up the TCCC and it is also essential to expand cancer care facilities to serve needy people of the State, the Health Department has stated in its proposal to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
The MoHFW has already approved establishment of TCCCs at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla and District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), Bhawanipatna.
The units will be set up under National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, CVD and Stroke (NPCDCS) with financial support of `45 crore each. The MoUs have already been signed with the Centre and funds are expected to be released within the current financial year.
The Department has, in fact, got the ball rolling for early approval of the additional TCCC by establishing a Cancer Detection Wing (CDW) at Capital Hospital. The CDW would be inaugurated by Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak on Monday.
The unit would strive to enhance early detection systems by community screening and hospital-based evaluation activities and also act as a first point of reference for people suspecting cancer. It will also offer counselling services to cancer patients.
As per plans, suspected cases at the out patient department (OPD) will be referred to the CDW where the persons will be evaluated for signs and symptoms as well as first line of diagnosis like FNAC, pap smear, ultrasound-guided FNAC, scrap cytology for oral lesions, visual inspection with five per cent acetic acid and video colposcopy for cervical cancer. On an average, the OPD attendance at Capital Hospital is more than 1000 per day.
The wing will function with one Radiation Oncologist, two doctors, two pathologists, two staff nurses and two technicians who have received training at the AHRCC for detection and diagnostics. The focus would be on oral, head and neck, breast and cervical cancer which account for more than 80 per cent of all cancer cases in the State.
“Those found to be suffering from cancer through the first line of diagnostics will be referred to AHRCC for further confirmation and treatment. The CDW is expected to enhance early detection of cancer which can save many lives,” said state nodal officer of NPCDCS Dr PKB Patnaik.
The hospital is also set to add a five-bed day care cancer centre for chemotherapy soon. A team of doctors and paramedics would receive training on chemotherapy administration and management at AIIMS from the ensuing week.

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