Page 27 - Annual Report
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Key Achievements
Operationalising 3 Day Care Chemotherapy Introduction of a Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) by
Centres in Assam in Dibrugarh, Barpeta and the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Cancer Care &
Diphu. These centres provided 2,724 OPD Advanced Research (SVICCAR) in October 2020,
services and 513 chemotherapy sessions. with a mammography machine. Specially designed
Launching a new Radiation Therapy unit at the to meet the needs of communities residing in
Assam Medical College Hospital (AMCH), remote areas of Chittoor district, the MMU offers
Dibrugarh, in February 2021, which has free screenings for NCDs like hypertension,
conducted 527 radiotherapy sessions. The diabetes, and oral, breast and cervical cancers. Over
installations of a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) True 1,623 screenings were undertaken during the year.
Beam for radiotherapy and a CT Simulator at the Recruitment of key personnel for upcoming
upcoming Barpeta Cancer Care Centre in Assam, hospitals in Tirupati, Tezpur and Barpeta, including
have also been completed. Medical Superintendents, Nursing Heads,
Operationalisation of 4 Swasth Kiosks in Procurement and Finance personnel, Biomedical
Chandrapur (Maharashtra), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Engineers, Radiotherapy Technicians and Medical
Dibrugarh (Assam) and Chittoor (Andhra Physicists.
Pradesh) to provide free screening for Signing of MoUs with prestigious institutes like
Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) including the Tata Memorial Centre (Mumbai), Tata Medical
oral, breast and cervical cancers. With the launch Centre (Kolkata), National Cancer Institute (Nagpur),
of these, a total of 9 Swasth Kiosks are now and Dr B. Borooah Cancer Institute (Guwahati) to
operational across 6 locations in Assam conduct training and fellowship programmes for
(Guwahati, Barpeta, Tezpur, Dibrugarh, Diphu, the upskilling of doctors, General Duty Medical
Silchar), and one each in Chandrapur Officers and nurses in specialised cancer care,
(Maharashtra), Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Tirupati including palliative care. A total of 63 doctors and
(Andhra Pradesh). A total of 19,125 screenings nurses have been enrolled for such fellowships
Linear Accelerator at
Barpeta Cancer Centre, Assam have been conducted. and trainings.
Future Plans Challenges Faced
Operationalisation of 5 Comprehensive Cancer Due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and
Care Centres (Tirupati, Ranchi, Chandrapur, the resultant acute shortage of manpower, there
Dibrugarh, Barpeta) and 6 Day Care were disruptions in the manufacturing and supply
Chemotherapy and Radiation Centres (Darrang, of long-lead construction materials, which
Kokrajhar, Tezpur, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Yenepoya). severely impacted construction work across all
Building on the existing community outreach sites, causing delays.
programmes and using a robust outreach Field activities in community outreach
communication strategy, an increased number of programmes were impacted across all locations
awareness and screening sessions will be rolled out (Chittoor, Cuttack, Chandrapur, Ranchi, Barpeta,
in 10 districts of Assam, besides Chandrapur Cachar, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Kamrup, Karbi
(Maharashtra), Chittoor (Andhra Pradesh), Cuttack Anglong, Nagaon, Kokrajhar and Lakhimpur).
(Odisha) and Ranchi (Jharkhand). Consequently, onsite awareness and screening
camps could not be conducted. However, the
team undertook virtual sessions to keep the
programmes going.
A meditation session in progress at the Palliative
Care Unit, Assam
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