Cancer treatment neglected amidst COVID-19, Rajasthan government comes to aid

Akshara Bharat.

As the entire world reels under the catastrophe inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems our lives have come at a standstill, as we confine ourselves in an indefinite quarantine. The focus of global-healthcare as a whole, and rightly so, is on somehow getting rid of this virus, as it has brought the best of scientific brains and healthcare resources to their knees.

Amidst all this, we seem to have forgotten about those suffering from life-threatening ailments like Cancer. They not only happen to be the most vulnerable to the ongoing pandemic owing to their compromised immune system, but also the most neglected, as the focus of India’s limited health-care infrastructure is completely diverted towards grappling with COVID-19. In other words, the coronavirus outbreak has landed the cancer patients in grave danger.

Perplexed about their compromised immune system, leading hospitals and research centres are advising cancer patients to remain at home till this novel Coronavirus infections fizzle out. Indefinite postponement of chemotherapies, surgeries and radiations have messed up the treatment schedules of many cancer patients across the country, and they are living under constant fear of dying sooner than they had imagined.

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Thankfully, the State Government of Rajasthan took this into cognisance, and on April 1, 2020 released an official order exhorting all the state-wide healthcare facilities to ensure that those suffering from serious ailments like cancer are taken care of and provided timely medical interventions. The order also stated that the medical authorities must maintain necessary safeguards against COVID-19, while providing treatment to such patients.

The order was released by Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (Medical & Health). Mr. Singh is also steering the huge health workforce in Rajasthan, which is toiling day and night to control the spread of novel coronavirus in the state.

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Rajneeti Plus also spoke with the renowned Oncologist and mentor to the state government’s Cancer programme Dr. Dinesh Pendharkar, who brought the focus of the government on the challenges faced by cancer patients amidst COVID-19. “It is indeed a welcome step by the government, as currently, people suffering from fatal ailments like cancer are more vulnerable than ever. Although getting rid of the coronavirus is the need of the hour, we simply can not afford to ignore people who are already suffering from other life-threatening conditions. I hope other states also follow the precedent set by the Government of Rajasthan”, he said.

India is home to nearly 25 lakh cancer patients and according to the National Cancer Registry Programme of the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR), more than 1300 people succumb to cancer every day in our country. The circumstances are more dire than ever for cancer patients, in the wake of an ongoing crisis.There is no denying the fact that healthcare resources in the country are limited, but what we need at this time is proper planning and focus on other serious life-threatening diseases also, so that we don’t end up creating another health crisis, once this pandemic pegs out.