Nagpur: RST Tertiary Care Cancer Centre (TCCC), erstwhile Regional Cancer Hospital, is in its last phase of giving cancer related training to PHC workers from Nagpur district.
The project was initiated nine months ago in coordination with state public health department and Indian Medical Association (IMA) with an aim to train all medical officers working in rural areas. The idea behind the project is to train PHC staffers in detecting cancer at the earliest and streamline the patients' treatment by referring them to the tertiary centre.
Until now, over 320 doctors have been trained. A Continuing Medical Education (CME) was organized at the hospital recently to train the last batch of 40 doctors. The CME is being organized under the guidance of Dr Subhrajit Dasgputa, the newly appointed director of the hospital.
Dasgupta said, "The CME has been planned so as to rope in government medical officers as partners in the battle against cancer. Eradication of cancer should start from the grass-roots level and these medical officers have been chosen as they are already working in far off villages."
"Orienting these officers is important for prevention, early detection and referral of patients to cancer hospital at the early stage," said Dasgupta.
The RST also plans to expand the project to other districts covering places like Akola, Amravati, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli. "We are in communication with the concerned civic bodies and health department in this connection," said Dr BK Sharma, joint director of the hospital.
Speakers like Dr Satsheel Sapre, assistant director of the hospital and head and neck onco surgeon, Dr Prafulla Chahande, oncosurgeon, Dr Sarita Kothari, oncogynecologist, Dr Prashant Dhoke, radiation oncologist of the hospital, shall be delivering lectures on 'oral cancer', 'breast cancer', 'cervical cancer' and radiotherapy, respectively. The CME is accredited by the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC).
