GUWAHATI, July 25 - Various health schemes are providing relief to cancer patients for treatment and rehabilitation at the city-based Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI).
During last year, more than 12,600 patients were registered at the hospital.
During that period, 8,750 patients were admitted for various forms of cancer treatment and around 1,700 major surgeries were performed at the institute.
A total of 3,330 patients received radiation treatment and the footfall of patients during the period was over 95,000.
According to BBCI Director Dr Amal Chandra Kataki, cancer treatment results in catastrophic expenditures for the poor and underprivileged sections of society.
�Before the introduction of the Atal Amrit Abhiyan of the Assam government and the Ayushman Bharat or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY) schemes, 30 to 40 per cent of all cancer patients defaulted without undergoing any form of cancer treatment as their families could not have afforded the costs of treatment. Now, after the launch of these schemes by the government, we are witnessing a drop in the number of patients defaulting or not undergoing treatment. We believe that this will improve the overall scenario of cancer outcomes in our population in the near future,� he said.
Dr Kataki added, �So far, 10,465 and 5,968 patients have received treatment under the Atal Amrit Abhiyan and the PMJAY respectively at the BBCI. In fact, the highest number of cancer patients from the State has received the benefit of these schemes at the institute. Till date, the total claim settlement for both the schemes comes to around Rs 16.1 crore and one can understand that the schemes have provided succour to many poor patients attending our hospital.�
He said that the BBCI pharmacy sells extremely subsidised chemotherapy drugs and other medicines at one sixth to one seventh of the market price. BBCI has so far sold Rs 6.3 crore worth of medicines including expensive chemotherapy drugs, which means a gross saving of Rs 25 crore for all patients coming to the BBCI for their treatment, added Dr Kataki.
St Jude Foundation provides free accommodation and the Aparajeeya scheme of the Assam Gas Company Ltd takes care of free treatment to all childhood cancer patients.
Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, with money pooled from the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare through BBCI has so far extended financial help of Rs 50 lakh to women and childhood cancer patients and the scheme will continue, said Dr Kataki.
