Hyderabad: Government launches first day care chemotherapy centre in Siddipet

Hyderabad : The government of Telangana has launched the first day care chemotherapy centre for cancer patients in Siddipet district as part of its plans to expand the chemotherapy units in districts. The centre, which was inaugurated by Health Minister T Harish Rao on Sunday, is the first of its kind in the State, and is expected to provide much-needed relief to cancer patients who had to travel long distance and wait for several days for treatment.

With plans to establish similar facilities in eight medical colleges and 33 districts, the government is aiming to provide cancer patients with easy access to chemotherapy services. The Siddipet centre, which has four beds, offers 60 types of medicines supplied by the renowned MNJ cancer hospital. Patients referred by MNJ and NIMS hospitals can access the chemo services here, with each patient requiring six to eight cycles of chemo, with a gap of three to four weeks between each cycle, taking an average of five to six hours.

To provide additional support to cancer patients, the government is providing medical care worth Rs four lakhs free of charge, with CBP, RFT, LFT tests required for every chemo patient, every cycle. Patients receive tele-consultation services from the centre and can also undergo essential tests like FBS and PLBS for diabetic cases, and ECG and 2D ECHO for cardiac cases.

According to the Health Minister, there are currently 468 cancer cases in Siddipet, including breast cancer, cervical cancer, oral cancer, lung cancer, rectum cancer, thyroid cancer, and other cancer cases.

The government is taking all kinds of measures to control cancer and is urging citizens to practice healthy habits, avoid cigarettes and tobacco, eat a vegetarian diet, and engage in physical activity and exercise.

Through the Arogyasri scheme, the government has spent over Rs 800 crores on cancer care since 2014, with MNJ and NIMS hospitals providing essential treatment to cancer patients across the State. The government is also taking steps to develop MNJ Hospital as a State cancer centre, with advanced equipment like True BEAM and PET scan already installed. In addition to essential treatments, the government is offering palliative care services in 33 districts to provide care to terminally ill patients, standing by cancer victims with specially arranged waiting vehicles. Through the Telangana Diagnostic Scheme, the State offers state-of-the-art services required for detecting cancer, while the Telangana Health Profile Scheme is identifying common cancers at the primary stage. The government is making arrangements to create awareness among the people and change their habits to prevent cancer.