State to introduce hub-&-spoke model for cancer treatment
In a bid to ensure cancer detection and treatment across the state, the Health department has decided to introduce a hub-and-spoke model for cancer care under which outdoor and indoor treatment facilities regarding cancer would be available in various state-run medical colleges and district hospitals.
The medical colleges providing cancer treatment will act as hubs while the district hospitals will be tagged with them. The districts will extend services to the patients like ‘spokes’ connected to the ‘hubs’.
A meeting was held at Swasthya Bhawan where the Chief Medical Officers of Health from all the districts took part. It was decided that all the district hospitals and new medical colleges will run oncology outdoors on Tuesdays and Fridays. All district hospitals have been directed to form an oncology team consisting of doctors from various streams. The team of expert doctors will hold a meeting every week. The board will decide the treatment protocols for patients admitted to the hospitals.
According to sources, the teaching colleges will serve as hubs for districts in case a patient needs higher care. Four teaching medical colleges will cater to patients from Kolkata, apart from patients from districts that are its spokes. IPGMER will be the hub for East Midnapore, Medical College Hospital will serve as the hub for Howrah and Hooghly, RG Kar Medical College will cater to North 24-Parganas, and NRS Medical College will cater to Nadia, Murshidabad and Jhargram.
The Health department has already published the list of nine physicist-cum-radiation safety officers in various hospitals and medical colleges, including Burdwan Medical College, Murshidabad Medical College, North Bengal Medical College, College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital. SSKM will also get a physicist-cum-radiation safety officer.
“Under this programme, all medical colleges, district hospitals and some sub-divisional hospitals will have cancer OPDs, day-care chemotherapy and palliative care. Each will also maintain a population-based cancer registry,” said a health official.
Various state-run medical colleges like the College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital and Murshidabad Medical College will be providing tertiary cancer care to patients. These medical colleges have been undergoing major infrastructural revamp and construction works have been completed. Most advanced equipment will be installed to provide top-class cancer treatment to the patients here.
