Mumbai: A free chemotherapy facility will now be made available at district hospitals in the state. Chemotherapy plays an important role in treatment of cancer. The first phase of this scheme will be launched in June and this facility will be made available at district hospitals of Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Pune, Amravati, Jalgaon, Nashik, Wardha, Satara, Bhandara and Akola. Physicians and nurses of these hospitals will be imparted training at Tata Hospital from next month.
According to National Cancer Patient registration program, 11 lakhs cancer patients are found per year in the country. The total number of cancer patients including the new and the old comes to 28 lakh. Out of these, five lakh patients die per year due to cancer. The state government takes preventive measures to reduce the incidence of cancer in Maharashtra. Tata Hospital gives the six-weeks chemotherapy course to patients.
Talking to The Asian Age, state health minister, Dr Deepak Sawant said , “This facility is made available at the district hospitals. Thus, the patients need not have to come to Mumbai all the way.”
Mr Sawant also said, “These units will start from June in these ten district hospitals. Rest of the district hospitals will be covered in the next phase, this treatment facility at the district hospitals are free of cost.”
