What Maharashtra’s new cancer care policy says

The policy has been formulated after the Centre announced in this year’s Budget to set up care centres for cancer treatment in all district hospitals of the country in the next 3 years, and the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare instructed states to take necessary measures.

What are the features of the policy?

According to the policy, cancer hospitals have been structured in three tiers: L-1, L-2 and L-3. These centres will provide radiotherapy, chemotherapy, post-graduate and super-speciality education, diagnosis of all types of cancer, surgery, physiotherapy, psychological support and treatment, research, palliative care, availability of drug facilities and awareness activities.

A company called the MAHACARE Foundation will be established to provide manpower, funding and guidance to L-2, L-3 centres as per the requirement.

Apart from this, a Command-and-Control Centre will be established for coordination between all these centres.

An expert executive board will be appointed for the day-to-day management of the MAHACARE Foundation. The foundation will take the cooperation of NGOs in palliative care activities for cancer treatment.

Along with developing new treatment methods for cancer, appropriate and cost-effective health programs, including cancer, will be designed at the local level. Activities will be implemented to increase awareness about research in health services and lifestyle changes to prevent diseases.

The foundation will work to facilitate the exchange of information between health care centres in the country and the state.

An initial fund of Rs 100 crore will be made available as share capital to the MAHACARE Foundation. Also, 20% of the fees received by cancer hospitals under the Mahatma Phule Jan Arogya Yojana will be given to the foundation.

The foundation will raise funds through clinical trials. It will also raise funds through international organisations, as per the requirement, as well as donations, grants, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). This will help the foundation to raise funds for other projects under the medical education and pharmaceuticals department, besides cancer.

Which hospitals have been selected under this policy?

Tata Memorial Hospital has been identified as the L-1 level apex institution. While hospitals affiliated to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Chandrapur, Nagpur, Sir J J Medical College and Hospital, Mumbai, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Government Medical College and Hospital and Chhatrapati Pramilaraje Hospital, Kolhapur, B J Government Medical College, Pune, and two referral service hospitals of the Public Health Department at Nashik and Amravati have been identified as L-2 centres.

Eight hospitals affiliated to government medical colleges at Ambajogai (Beed), Nanded, Yavatmal, Mumbai (Cama and Albless Hospital), Satara, Baramati, Jalgaon and Ratnagiri, and Shirdi Sai Sanstha hospital have been identified as L-3 level centres.

What will be the role of these hospitals in tackling cancer?

According to the policy, fellowships for PG and super speciality education in cancer will be provided in these L-2 level hospitals.

The procurement of equipment, manpower and management for L-3 level centres will be done through the MAHACARE Foundation as per the Public Private Partnership (PPP) policy.

Only the expenditure for construction, equipment and manpower of Shirdi Institute Cancer Hospital will be borne by the institute. The recruitment of L-2 level hospitals will take place from the Medical Education and Public Health Department.

What will be the structure of the MAHACARE foundation?

The Chief Minister of the state will be the Chairman of the MAHACARE Foundation, and both the Deputy Chief Ministers will be the Vice-Chairmen.

The Ministers of Medical Education, the Public Health, the Minister of State for both these departments, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Finance Department, Medical Education, and the Public Health Department, the Commissioner of the Medical Education Department, and the Commissioner of the Directorate of Health Services will be the Directors.

In addition, an expert in the field of health services will be appointed as the Chief Executive Officer.

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