Karnataka| Establishment of Day Care Chemotherapy Centers in 16 District Hospitals: Dinesh Gundu Rao

While the central government has included the establishment of day care chemotherapy centers in its current budget, Minister Rao noted that the state government had committed to launching these centers in the previous budget cycle. As a result, the centers are now operational in 16 hospitals, with plans to expand to two taluks in Dakshina Kannada district, he said.

It is important to clarify that cancer screening will not be conducted at these day care chemotherapy centers. Instead, patients will receive initial treatment at registered tertiary cancer hospitals, after which they can continue their chemotherapy at the newly established centers, Rao added.

The health minister said that the day care chemotherapy centers are designed using a hub-and-spoke model, facilitated by an agreement between the government and tertiary hospitals. In this model, tertiary cancer hospitals will serve as hub facilities, while the day care chemotherapy centers will operate as spoke facilities within the district hospitals. Minister Rao confirmed that this agreement will be extended for future years.

Tertiary cancer hospitals will be responsible for conducting cancer screenings and ongoing patient monitoring. They will also prepare and distribute medications to the spoke centers, ensuring a seamless continuum of care. The day care chemotherapy centers will coordinate closely with the hub hospitals to provide comprehensive patient support, Rao said.

Each day care chemotherapy center will be staffed with one medical oncologist, two nurses trained in chemotherapy administration, and additional support personnel. Minister Rao announced that each hospital will allocate 10 beds specifically for this purpose, enhancing the capacity to serve cancer patients effectively.