2 days ago
Five govt med colleges to get oncology depts: Health secy
Ranchi: State department of health, medical education and family welfare will set up oncology departments in five govt medical colleges across the state. Addressing a day-long summit on cancer here, state health secretary Ajoy Kumar Singh said oncology departments will be set up in Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Hazaribag, Palamu, and Dumka medical colleges.
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"Additionally, Ranchi Sadar Hospital will become the one of the largest government-run cancer treatment centres in the country," he said.
Singh added that all major health schemes in the state, which includes Ayushman Bharat, Mukhyamantri Gambhir Bimari Yojana and others will fully cover cancer treatment. "Comprehensive screening for oral, cervical, and breast cancer will soon be launched across all primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), and Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, with diagnosed cases to be systematically uploaded on a centralized portal and referred for higher-level treatment," he said.
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he department will provide incentives to private doctors to take part in public healthcare delivery, with honorariums ranging from Rs 600 to Rs 800 per OPD consultation and 13% to 35% of procedure charges for surgeries. "If private doctors contribute even a day per week in government hospitals, they will be duly honoured. This will improve accessibility and affordability of treatment across the state," he said.
Singh said Jharkhand records 14,000-16,000 new cancer cases annually. Nearly 60% of these cases are detected in advanced stages. This delay in diagnosis significantly complicates treatment and increases costs", said Singh. Stressing on the need for early screening, Singh said 38% of all cancer cases in Jharkhand were oral cancer while 16% was cervical and breast cancer.
Dr. Satish Sharma, senior oncologist and summit coordinator, stated, "State needs to make equal progress on awareness, clinical research, and equitable treatment. We must build an environment where rural patients receive the same level of care as urban counterparts." Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, Director of Lung Connect India Foundation, "During a patient board survey, it was found that more than 80% of patients faced delays in receiving a proper diagnosis, with many initially misdiagnosed with diseases like tuberculosis.
Around 50% of patients had experienced financial hardship due to expensive medication not being covered under insurance schemes."
