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Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Rising cost of cancer treatment driving families to financial ruin, forcing dropouts; experts at Kolkata meet call for affordable cancer care, early detection & insurance
Cancer treatment costs in India are pushing families into financial distress, with out-of-pocket expenses averaging Rs 3.3 lakh annually, leading to treatment dropouts KOLKATA: The rising cost of cancer treatment is increasingly driving families towards financial ruin, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like India, cancer experts and researchers have warned. Out-of-pocket expenditure has reached an average of Rs 3.3 lakh per household annually, resulting in numerous treatment dropouts. A breakdown of expenses reveals non-medical spend - accommodation (18.6%), food (17.9%) and travel (7.2%) - are adding to medical costs like systemic therapy (19.7%), radiotherapy (13%), surgery (9.7%) and investigation (8.2%). These issues were highlighted at a recent meet in Kolkata attended by doctors, researchers and policymakers where the participants focused primarily on the high cost of cancer care and the necessity to drastically reduce it to save families from financial calamity. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata India records approximately 18.5 lakh new cancer cases annually and about 9.1 lakh deaths each year. In Bengal, about one lakh new cancer patients are diagnosed every year, with approximately 49,000 deaths. The most prevalent cancers in the state include breast, lung, oral, cervix and prostate. "Catastrophic health exp-enditure is a reality for a majority of cancer patients in India," said surgical oncologist Soumen Das, adding that a broken financing system and skyrocketing drug prices were the key contributors. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Secret to Never Losing Anything Again? This Little Black Dot dailygadgetreviews Undo Experts said new drugs and technologies, along with profit margins of health facilities, were the main contributors to the soaring cancer treatment bill. Oncosurgeon Arnab Gupta, medical director at Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Institute, Thakurpukur, said bulk purchase through the National Cancer Grid could bring down the cost of drugs. Docs stress early cancer detection, insurance cover Doctors at the conference also stressed the importance of public awareness and community-based screening for early detection and the need for universal insurance schemes to reduce expenditure. Swapan Saren, Bengal health services director said, "We need to be empathetic towards patients. Apart from the physical sufferings, cancer causes mental trauma and financial drainage. Therefore, the patient and family members deserve greater support and transparency." The multi-pronged approaches discussed at the meet included patient-centric financing schemes and systemic changes aimed at equitable access, including socialised and contributory insurance models. Experts noted that countries with such models had demonstrated reduced out-of-pocket expenditure and increased treatment completion rates. One of the solutions proposed was short-term employment of family members as caregivers for patients undergoing long-term treatments. This would help families sustain themselves economically during prolonged hospital stays, experts said. Organised by SH Binayak Hospital in association with Oncocare, Cancer Care & Cure Society of West Bengal, Asian Medical Foundation and Institute of Breast Diseases Kolkata, the meet was attended by cancer specialists including PN Mahapatra, Sayantan Mukhopadhyay, Tanmoy K Mandal, Soumen Das, Debjoy Sau, Sukhamoy Barik and Anwar Ali Mallick. Sneha Sparsha, a homecare service for cancer patients by the hospital, was launched during the conclave.
Reuters
12-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UK's Segro names Susanne Schroeter-Crossan as its new CFO
June 12 (Reuters) - Warehouse landlord Segro (SGRO.L), opens new tab on Thursday named Susanne Schroeter-Crossan as its new chief financial officer to succeed Soumen Das, who will step down from the role at the end of the year. Schroeter-Crossan, currently the CFO of Germany-based freight and logistics provider Sennder Technologies GmbH, is set to join Segro's board as an executive director on December 1. Under Das's eight-year tenure as finance chief, Segro's shares have risen over 55% in value. In April, the company reported strong increases in rent reviews and renewals in Britain during the first quarter.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Project Pink Alert launched in Kolkata: Empowering youth for a cancer-aware future
In a significant step towards creating a cancer-aware generation, the Institute of Breast Disease, Kolkata, in collaboration with the Asian Medical Foundation, launched Project Pink Alert—a youth-focused cancer awareness initiative—at Presidency University. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The project was unveiled during a dynamic three-hour workshop held at the PCM Auditorium, engaging over 100 students from the university's Department of Mathematics. The interactive session focused on key areas, including cancer prevention, early detection, lifestyle risk factors, and debunking myths, aiming to equip young people with life-saving knowledge. This marks a new chapter for an initiative that previously reached over 1.8 lakh school students across 1,800 schools nationwide. With its latest expansion, Project Pink Alert seeks to engage college and university students as cancer awareness ambassadors within their communities. 'India's biggest challenge is not the lack of treatment facilities, but the late detection of cancer,' said Dr. Soumen Das, Director of the Institute of Breast Disease. 'With Project Pink Alert, we are planting the seed of awareness among today's youth, so they become informed, proactive, and responsible citizens.' India faces a mounting cancer burden, with one in every 22 women at lifetime risk for breast cancer. Over 70% of cancers in India are detected at advanced stages (Stage III or IV), significantly reducing treatment success rates. Project Pink Alert aims to change this narrative by promoting timely detection and reducing avoidable deaths. The launch event featured engaging talks by key medical professionals, including Dr. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Kanad Basu (project lead), Dr. Tanmoy K. Mandal, Dr. Sayantan Mukhopadhyay, and Dr. Anowar Ali Mallick. A vibrant Q&A session followed, during which students asked thoughtful questions about genetics, symptoms, and societal stigmas. The team extended their gratitude to Professor Avishek Adhikari and the Presidency University faculty for their support, as well as to Sanjoy Chatterjee, Chairman of the NASSCOM Regional Council, for his continued encouragement. Following its successful kickoff, Project Pink Alert is poised to expand across colleges and universities in multiple states, with an ambitious goal to reach 1 million students in the next two years.
Reuters
14-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
UK's Segro plans data centre strategy shift as AI booms
Feb 14 (Reuters) - Segro (SGRO.L), opens new tab, which has historically offered data centres equipped only with power connections, plans to develop full-fledged facilities to directly serve major cloud providers like Amazon, Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab, and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google in a bid to shore up rental income. The largest-listed European property company is looking to capitalise the surge in demand for data centres, a trend fuelled by the growing reliance on AI systems, which require specialised infrastructure like high capacity power supply and advanced cooling systems. Typically, Segro leases out data centres to firms that add infrastructure such as chillers, generators, and dividing walls before sub-leasing to tech companies, which then add their own technology. Under the new strategy, the London-based company will lease data centres fitted with required infrastructure directly to end users. "A 'powered shell' might cost 50 million pounds ($62.9 million) to build, whereas a 'fully fitted' data centre could require around 500 million pounds. However, rental income could jump from 5 million pounds to 50 million pounds," Segro CFO Soumen Das told Reuters. Segro currently earns about 650 million pounds in annual rent from its broader portfolio, and Das added that a single fully fitted data centre would have a noticeable impact on overall revenue. The group, which mainly owns big box and urban warehouses among other assets, has 34 'powered shells', all in London and Slough, accounting for 8% of its overall portfolio. The London- and Paris-listed firm said it is planning for its new data centres to also incorporate 'fully fitted' facilities, but did not provide additional details or a timeline. However the new strategy comes with a trade-off, with Das saying fully fitted spaces would depreciate faster than the 'powered shells', potentially impacting long-term performance. ($1 = 0.7948 pounds)
