Chandigarh signs pacts to boost cancer care

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Chandigarh, July 7

The UT Administration signed four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in New Chandigarh, a unit of Tata Memorial Centre, to strengthen cancer care services.

The MoUs were inked in the presence of Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwari Lal Purohit and Adviser Dharam Pal.

Under the agreements, the UT health services will be provided technical support, including enhancing cancer care services and improving hospital-based cancer registry and population-based cancer registries in the area. Additionally, the MOUs emphasise the importance of human resource capacity-building and training of public health workers in various departments for cancer prevention and management, with financial backing from the Chandigarh Administration.

The agreements also facilitate the establishment of preventive oncology service at hospitals and medical colleges in the City Beautiful. Furthermore, they aim to enhancing palliative care services at government hospitals in a phased manner.

Another significant aspect of the MOUs is the establishment of a patient referral system for cancer patients.

The agreements outline plans for training health professionals, including postgraduate resident doctors, fellows, medical officers and staff of the Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32, Government Multi-Speciality Hospital in Sector 16 and the cancer hospital.

The MOUs also focus on raising cancer awareness through school health programmes in Chandigarh. The Department of School Education, UT, and the New Chandigarh hospital will collaborate to sensitise students to obesity, tobacco and alcohol use, hygiene, nutrition and the impact of these factors on health.