Indore:
National Health Mission – Madhya Pradesh designated the only public head and neck surgery department of Super Speciality hospital as a tertiary care treatment centre in the state.
The NHM in a letter issued recently to all Chief Medical and Health Officers (CMHO’s) stated that in the state screening and testing of three types of cancer- Oral, Cervical and Breast is going under National Non-communicable Disease programme.
In MP, there are 8788 registered oral cancer patients. Under the programme, the workers are doing community screening of people aged above 30 years. The suspects are referred to nearby health facilities on identifying such symptoms, stated letter.
In case of getting such symptoms related to oral cancer, the patients shall be referred to a tertiary treatment centre in Super speciality hospital under the existing referral mechanism, stated letter.
Consultant, head and neck surgery department, Dr Bhavesh Bang, told TOI, “The department was formed with a vision to become a tertiary level referral centre for patients with head and neck cancer, the most common cancer in the state. It is the first such public facility in the state.”
“The department now plans to conduct training sessions in every district for doctors and peripheral healthcare workers in screening of common head and neck cancers like oral cancer so that patients with head and neck cancer can be referred in a timely manner to the department,” said Dr Bang.
“Treatment in early stages decreases the morbidity and mortality from the cancer substantially,” Dr Bang added.
Every year around 300-400 major head and neck surgeries are performed at the hospitals associated with MGM medical college, Indore. With this department operational the numbers are expected to go up.