No need to come all the way to Mumbai: Maha offers ‘free chemotherapy’ treatment in these districts

Mumbai, April 8: Sigh of relief for those seeking chemotherapies: This June the chemotherapy facility will be made free at different districts of Maharashtra. The districts are Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Pune, Amravati, Jalgaon, Nashik, Wardha, Satara, Bhandara and Akola. 

The government of Maharashtra announced that cancer patients would be provided free chemotherapy treatment at district hospitals with the first phase of the plan starting in June, officials said.

A free chemotherapy facility will now be made available at district hospitals in the state. Chemotherapy plays an important role in treatment of cancer. The first phase of this scheme will be launched in June. Physicians and nurses of these hospitals will be imparted training at Tata Hospital from next month.

Officials said that the move was to alleviate travelling and lodging problems of cancer patients who have to come to Mumbai's Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel, one of the country's premier cancer treatment facilities, for a six week chemotherapy course as part of treatment.

According to National Cancer Patient registration program, 11 lakhs cancer patients are found per year in the country. The total number of cancer patients including the new and the old comes to 28 lakh. Out of these, five lakh patients die per year due to cancer. The state government takes preventive measures to reduce the incidence of cancer in Maharashtra. Tata Hospital gives the 6-weeks chemotherapy course to patients.

State Health Minister, Dr Deepak Sawant said, “This facility is made available at the district hospitals. Thus, the patients need not have to come to Mumbai all the way.”

Further Dr Sawant also said, “These units will start from June in these ten district hospitals. Rest of the district hospitals will be covered in the next phase, this treatment facility at the district hospitals is free of cost.”