Access to Care

Chairs

Shruti Kakkar

Associate Professor

Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana

Dhanshri Pradhan

Head Project Operations Palliative Care

Cipla Foundation

Goal Statement

To develop well defined referral pathways, networks and linkages in each state.

Key Focus Areas

  • Map all the centres across the country (on going).
  • Develop the IEC material for use at grassroot level (PHC, CHCs etc) (on going).
  • Update the NTP-PPO (on going).

Glimpses of Work

(a) Map all the centres across the country
Context
  • According to the Rajya Sabha report, mapping exercise to identify region-wise cancer burden, common types of cancer and the existing facilities to manage them is very important.
  • To achieve the recommendations by Rajya Sabha, we need to do the Mapping of cancer across the country as the first step.
  • This would be helpful in referring the patient at the right centre, improve access to care and prioritizing the phasing of the proposed hubs and spokes for cancer centres by the Government of India.
Purpose

Mapping of the centres across the country had been done in which approx. 306 hospitals were identified.

Status/Next Steps
  • Create and Expand National and Regional cancer networks.
  • Establish robust telemedicine service between nodal cancer and district hospitals.
  • Update information on resources and mapping and put in public domain.
(b) Develop the IEC material for use at grassroot level (PHC, CHCs etc)
Context
  • Cancer is a leading cause of death for children and adolescents around the world and approximately.
  • In high-income countries, more than 80% of children with cancer are cured, but in many low- and middle-income countries the cure rate is only about 20%.
  • While paediatric cancer is not preventable, the goal of early detection can be achieved by increasing awareness.
Purpose
  • An Extensive literature review has been done, have reviewed the Current Programs in India Screening for Children with Diseases/NCD and Adults with Cancer-RBSK, NPCDCS.
  • Searched the solution in other countries and interventions done in other LMICS.
  • Collected evidence on PAHO- Searched the study based on PAHO module.
Status/Next Steps

The work done on the project includes:

  • Connected with Colleagues in Latin America.
  • Connected with Collaborators on Ground Level.
  • Connected with NHSRC and MOHFW.

We further want to form a core committee in the access to care taskforce and take the project forward.