Did you know that 20% of world’s total Pediatric Cancer cases are found in India? Every year 75,000 children in India get affected by cancer.
The cure rate of children with this disease is less than 50% in India but in developed countries, there is 80% cute rate.There are many reasons as to why the cure-rate is so low here, but the important factor for that is its treatment-cost and everything that involves with it.
Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH), as a part of its effort to support the poor children battling cancer, has inaugurated its Free Pediatric Oncology Ward on Sunday, at KMCH Medical College General Hospital.
At the occasion, children who battled and won cancer with the hospital’s support were appreciated and cherished.
This Free Cancer Treatment Ward is the brainchild of Dr. Arun. N. Palaniswami, the Executive Director of KMCH. In this ward, there are 20+ beds right now, and another 10 will be added to this ward. It is kept well ventilated, clearly lit and decorated to appeal to the kids who stay there for treatment.
The ward will be very useful in providing in-patient care, it can provide daycare facilities, provide plenty of space for dressing, space to administer medication via I.V. among other aspects.
Specially trained nurses and counsellors who can provide pediatric oncology care will be there at this ward round the clock, and Pediatric Oncology Doctors from KMCH Medical College will be here for the children’s benefit, day and night.
There will be free food and accomodation to the children. Lab tests will mostly free except for the ones that are sent out to big centers. While the medications are a paid-service here, it was conveyed that KMCH would be offering free pediatric cancer surgeries and radiation therapy to the underprivileged.
M. S. Muthusamy IPS, DIG of Police, Coimbatore and Dr. V. Booma, Head of Pediatrics, CMCH did the inauguration in the presence of Dr. Thavamani D Palaniswami, Vice Chairperson, Dr. Arun Palaniswami, Executive Director, KMCH.
Dr.Arun Palaniswami said one of the main reason why cancer care remains a distant dream for many patients is it treatment-costs.
He shared that while there are free cancer centers that offer good cancer care services, people from various places, Coimbatore for instance, who need these services especially for their children will have to move to those centers’ location, and that would be for months. This is seen as a major hurdle for parents, especially the poor.
He said that this free ward is a step taken by KMCH to do something to help all the deserving children in and around Coimbatore and help them receive the hospital’s advanced care.
Dr. Rajendran, Head, Department of Pediatrics, KMCH pointed out the healing rate from Cancer is low in India because parents don’t bring their children to the hospitals on time and the cancer advances by the time they arrive.
Many parents think they can opt for traditional medicines first. They only consult oncologists after going for other modes of treatment. He said children suffering cancer should be admitted to hospitals that can offer specialized cancer care, manage medical complications that arise while treating cancer and also has other sub specialities that would be needed in rendering oncology treatment.
85% of children admitted at KMCH for cancer treatment in 10 years have had very good recovery. He underlined that the hospital has a full fledged pediatric ICU, qualified pediatric intensivists, 45 bedded NICU, along with pediatric neurologists, pediatric cardiologists, pediatric gastroenterologist, pediatric nephrologist and Pediatric surgeons.