The Health department and National Health Mission in Hyderabad have decided to offer chemotherapy facilities in five districts in the State – Nizamabad, Siddipet, Adilabad, Khammam and Mahbubnagar. These districts have been selected based on the high number of cancer cases. A study shows that Telangana is likely to have over 53,000 cancer patients by 2025.
Cancer treatment is expensive, with each session of chemo costing Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh depending on the medicines required. Patients need to undergo 12 cycles (sessions) of chemotherapy. The State government has been focusing on cancer treatment and recently inaugurated a new facility with 300 beds at Red Hills. With this, 750 beds are now available for cancer treatment.
MNJ Cancer Hospital director Dr N Jayalatha said that the district centres would not only provide better treatment to patients but also decrease case load on MNJ. These centres would be attached to teaching hospitals and MNJ doctors would train the doctors there. The training of doctors has already been completed and if there are any issues, MNJ staff will assist them. The centres will be started on an experimental basis where initial chemotherapy will be done at MNJ Hospital and follow-up therapies will be done at these centres.
