Assam alone reports 29,962 cancer patients a year: BBCI

Assam alone reports 29,962 cancer patients a year: BBCI

Doctors to refrain from private practice

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, June 29: North Eastern States have burden of 39,000 cancer patients every year, out of which Assam alone contributes to 29,962 patients. Cancer of throat (hypopharynx), oesophagus, oral cavity, stomach, lung in male and cancer of breast, cervix, and gall bladder are very common in women. About 50-55% of all cancers in male and about 25-30% of all cancers in female are tobacco related cancer. This was revealed by the Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati Director Dr A C Kataki while addressing the reporters in the Institute premises on Friday.

Dr Kataki informed the reporters that the prevalence of non-communicable diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, chronic respiratory diseases have increased from 30.5% in 1990 to 55.4% in 2016. Globally, 1.4 crores new cancer patients are detected every year, out of which 82 lakhs patients die. In India, 14.5 lakhs cancer patients were detected in 2016 and it is expected that this figure will increase to 17.3 lakhs in 2020.

BBCI at present has 225 regular employees and 92 contractual employees, 42 doctors, 26 post graduate doctors besides 69 working nurses. Over a period of 1-2 years, BBCI will increase the infrastructure facility for treatment of patients and will for the time being optimally utilize the existing facility. Coordinated attempts will be made to create a patient-friendly environment with emphasis on efficiency, cleanliness, punctuality and discipline.

“Anti-cancer drugs are very expensive and steps will be taken to start a pharmacy where prices of medicines will be highly subsidized and it will be similar to Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai,” Kataki said. BBCI at present has one 100-bedded Guest House. Another Guest House with 29 paying cabins has already been started. A new State-of-the-art Linear Accelerator machine procured at a cost of Rs.17.00 crores is under installation and it is expected that within 2 months it will be operational. This state-of-the art Linear Accelerator machine will be able to treatment approximately 100 patients daily. This will be the fourth Linear Accelerator unit of the Institute in addition to two more tele-cobalt radiotherapy machines.

For the convenience of the patients, hospital OPD will remain open from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM from Monday to Friday and 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM on Saturdays. All employees of BBCI will work for 42 hours a week and this will give opportunity to the patients to attend OPD till 5:00 PM. Separate private OPD has been started from 1st December 2017 to those patients who prefer to attend private consultation. There will be no difference for diagnostic procedures and treatment between general and private patients.

Meanwhile, doctors of BBCI have willfully accepted to refrain from private practice for which the Director has complimented all the doctors of the Institute. Dr Kataki felt that this will set an example in the health sector in the State of Assam. He further hoped that these measures will contribute to improve the standard of care in the long run.

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