State Health Minister Dedicates State Care Coordination Centre cum Home away from home for Paediatric Cancer Patients

Bhopal:  September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. A time to create awareness that Childhood Cancer is Curable with very high survival rates and to honor the bravery and courage of children fighting cancer.  Gold is the color of childhood cancer.

On this occasion, Honourable Health Minister, Dr. Prabhuram Chaudhary, Govt of Madhya Pradesh, inaugurated the State Care Coordination Center and Home away from Home in Bhopal, set up by partnering NGO, Cankids KidsCan, National Society for Change for Childhood Cancer in India.

Working closely with the NHM, Sukh Anand, as the Center is called, a bare 6 km from the NHM offices, is the hub from where best access to treatment, care and support for children with cancer across the State will be coordinated, through online and face2face interaction, support, helpline services and training of health workers and professionals. It is also a Home away from Home that provides holistic accommodation and care for families from outside Bhopal coming to the city for treatment.

Delighted to meet children with cancer and their families from 15 different districts of MP, and their parents, Minister Chaudhury said, “It is crucial that Children with Cancer Survive and Thrive and get best Access to Care. We are happy to partner with NGO’s like Cankids who are able to hold the hands of the families, guide them from primary health centre, tertiary care centres and provide them financial, medical, social, educational and psychological support they need at this time”.

In April 2022, Department of Health and Family Welfare, National Health Mission, Government of Madhya Pradesh signed an MoU with Cankids as their knowledge and support partner for Childhood Cancer in Madhya Pradesh.   Dr. Priyanka Das Director NHM – Madhya Pradesh said, “The aim is to ensure that families of children with cancer get best access to care along with right treatment support and care – through appropriate knowledge of where to go, timely diagnosis and treatment, shared care and continuity of care, working at all levels Primary health care, district and tertiary cancer centres.  To do so along with all relevant stakeholders including State Governments, Hospital management, health professionals, other Not-for-profits, parents and Survivors and Civil society”

Childhood cancer incidence in Madhya Pradesh is 4946 which is the 5th highest in the country (Source- Estimated National and State Level Incidence of Childhood and Adolescent Cancer in India Arora R, Bagai P, Bhakta N INDIAN PEDIATRICS (2021) 417 )  Only about 30% of the children reach any cancer treating centre which means 70% do not make it to any cancer treating centre within or outside the state. The maximum number of cases are being treated in Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sudam Khade (IAS), Health Commissioner, Department of Public Health and Family Welfare said “While the numbers of children with cancer in MP is small, we are fighting a much bigger war against cancer and other NCDs. Delays in detection and diagnosis, result in poor access to care. Our brief to the NGO partner is to work with us to strengthen the facilities and systems across public facilities and Ayushman Bharat empanelled hospitals, for early detection and diagnosis, and to enable families to access government schemes and initiatives.  Small investments in childhood cancer care will yield significant results as more children survive and thrive.”

Ms. Poonam Bagai, Chairman CanKids KidsCan said “The lokarpan of the Madhya Pradesh State Care coordinating centre by the Health Minister renews our commitment to work with the state government and all other stakeholders to make Change for Childhood Cancer in Madhya Pradesh. We have divided the State into 5 Childhood Cancer Divisions and are working with the Government and Lead hospitals and doctors, of Indore/Ujjain, Bhopal Gwalior, Jabalpur and Rewa to make a change for childhood cancer in the State. We take this month as a time to not only highlight what we’ve achieved in the fight against childhood cancer, but more importantly, to identify new ways we can improve outcomes for childhood cancer patients not only survive cancer and help survivors thrive.”

In its mission to achieve the WHO GICC goal of 60% survival, CANKIDS KIDSCAN is committed to provide medical assistance by way of diagnosis, drugs, medical supplies, prostheses, transplants, blood and blood products including Single Donor Platelet kits etc.