As part of this offering, MSKCC India will provide remote opinions via video or written consultations (Representational photo) Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre (MSKCC) has launched a set-up to serve India initiative under which cancer patients in India will have access to the institution’s oncologists, researchers, clinical trials, and education from around the world.
As part of this offering, MSKCC India will provide remote opinions via video or written consultations. A Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center oncologist, who specializes in a patient’s form of cancer, will review their medical records, test results, and other materials and provide a comprehensive written opinion, meet with the patient virtually using telemedicine technology, or speak with the patient’s local oncologist about their diagnosis and care plan.
In some cases, they may also recommend the patient to travel to receive care at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
“Meeting the needs of cancer patients in India and improving their long term health and survival rates will require close collaboration with the cancer community in India,” Murray Brennan, MD, senior vice president of international programs at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, said.
As part of this effort, MKCC has partnered with iCliniq, a global telemedicine provider based in India.
MSKCC India will also open a facility in Chennai, centrally located for patients and staff members. This location will serve as a hub for medical staff who will help patients coordinate written or virtual consultations, and they will be able to communicate in English, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. If necessary, employees will also be able to collect medical records from patients’ homes, making the process more convenient for those utilizing this service.
Mrinal Gounder, MD, a medical oncologist and physician ambassador to India and Asia at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, told The Indian Express via email that as the initiative is an online one, there is a lot of flexibility to coordinate sessions during hours that are both convenient for patients, the MSKCC India team and the centre’s physicians from New York.
“We use our expertise to help guide patients and their treating physicians’ decisions. We have a deep expertise in 400+ types of cancers,” Dr Gounder added.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
