Decentralisation of some medical services can work better for patients

Decentralisation of certain medical services can work better for patients, particularly cutting down travel expenses and time apart from easy access to medical care, said experts at the two-day annual conference of the Indian society of oncology.

“I have myself got chemotherapy centres established at district hospitals in states such as Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and in Uttar Pradesh too. These centres, some of which are performing excellent, provide medical care to patients who now do not need to rush to big cities for the same,” said Dr Dinesh Padharkar of Sarvodaya healthcare in Faridabad, on Sunday, the concluding day of the conference.

Sharing his model, Dr Padharkar said, “A month of training is enough for an experienced doctor having an MBBS degree before we start the chemotherapy centre. In UP, centres have been established in Bahraich, Chitrakoot, Kannauj, Etawah, Siddharthnagar and such centres can come up in each district.”

Dr Akash Agrawal, senior faculty at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences and coordinator of the conference, said, “In such a model, a lot of saving comes on part of the patient. The patient from Bahraich does not need to travel a day before appointment at Lohia institute in Lucknow.”

“Also, the patient and attendant return home the same day, which is not the case if they travel to another city for treatment,” Dr Akash Agrawal said.

Doctors said that such a centre can also handle any emergency, if any, and can stay connected to higher centres. “All district hospitals are equipped to handle an emergency. The patient can come for follow up as advised by the doctor at a higher centre while for chemotherapy they can get in their home town,” said Dr Padharkar. Many eminent doctors, including Dr Apul Goel and Dr Madhup Rastogi, participated in the panel discussions. Hindustan Times