Soon, standardised treatment for cancer patients across state

According to officials, 2.22 crore families in the state have been covered under the Aayushman Bharat scheme, while 23 lakh procedures have been performed under it.

Cancer patients, who have been registered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the state, will soon be treated using a common plan formulated by doctors at Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) in Parel.

The most availed procedure was medical oncology (5.58 lakh procedures), revealed an analysis conducted by the state(Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

Sudhakar Shinde, chief executive officer of the State Health Assurance Society (SHAS), which implements the scheme, said that in a couple of weeks, the software used by hospitals empanelled under the scheme, will be updated with protocols to detect cancer and treat patients, as followed by TMH doctors.

“Clinicians often follow old treatment protocols for surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There are no standardised guidelines for them to follow,” Shinde said.

“The treatment protocols designed by TMH doctors are the latest in the field, which all patients should benefit from. We want to ensure that across the state the same standard of care is followed,” Shinde said further.

Under the scheme, the most availed procedure was medical oncology (5.58 lakh procedures), revealed an analysis conducted by the state.

Sarbani Ghosh Laskar, from the department of radiation oncology at TMH, confirmed this finding.

Laskar said that the doctors at TMH are helping other hospitals to prepare evidence guidelines for the management of common cancer.

“We are in the process of giving the hospitals some guidelines that will help in providing patients with the right kind of treatment,” said Laskar.

“Often if patients don’t receive evidence-based treatments, there is threat of side effects and prolonged treatment,” said Laskar.

According to officials, 2.22 crore families in the state have been covered under the Aayushman Bharat scheme, while 23 lakh procedures have been performed under it.