Chemotherapy training begins for Delhi doctors under PM's cancer day care centre initiative

Indian Express

3 days ago

As a part of establishing cancer day care centres announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her Budget speech, the Delhi State Cancer Institute has begun training doctors from Delhi hospitals for providing chemotherapy to patients at the District Day Care Cancer Centres (DCCCs).
The training is being imparted under PM's cancer day care centre initiative to four General Duty Medical Officers (GDMOs) and Nursing Officers from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, Rao Tula Rao, Janakpuri Super Speciality Hospital and Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya Hospital.
Dr Diwakar, Director, Delhi State Cancer Institute, said on Friday that this was the first such initiative in Delhi where training is being provided to doctors to provide chemotherapy for cancer day care centres.
The training at Delhi State Cancer Institute is being conducted in batches over the coming months and will continue till November.
According to Dr Diwakar, the move has been taken to strengthen cancer care services across the country and hands-on training on chemotherapy.
He said the first batch comprises four medical officers and four nursing officers from four different DCCC centres.
'The training is designed to equip frontline healthcare professionals with essential skills in chemotherapy drug handling, patient monitoring, and clinical management, in alignment with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW),' he said.
Dr Diwakar said the move will enhance the clinical competence of healthcare providers at the grassroots level, especially in outer areas, where early and effective cancer intervention is crucial.
'We will first stabilise the patients at our centre and from here we can transfer the patients to these day care centres where trained staff and doctors will look after the patients undergoing chemotherapy,' he said.
In February, Minister Sitharaman had announced the establishment of day-care centers for cancer treatment at all district hospitals over the next three years. This initiative aims to improve access to essential cancer treatments, while also easing the heavy patient burden on large tertiary care hospitals in metropolitan cities. 'Two hundred centres will be set up in 2025-26,' Sitharaman had said.