Visakhapatnam: Fifty-year-old M Revathi went to the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Center here with her Swasthyashree card in the hope of getting cancer treatment.
Like many others, she returned home frustrated by not being able to access the state-of-the-art facilities there. Many cancer patients there have faced a major challenge in the last ten days after the cancer center closed its services to health card holders.
An employee at the center said the hospital was treating only existing Swasthyashree card holders but not accepting new registrations. The state government owes around Rs 25 crore in unpaid bills. “This significantly impacts HBCHRC’s ability to provide cancer care and enroll new patients,” it explained.
The Cancer Center spoke to the Chief Executive Officer of Dr. Nandamuri Tarka Rama Vaidya Seva Trust. Now the CEO’s reply is awaited.
Cancer sufferer M Revathi said Deccan Chronicle The hospital has modern facilities and 200 patient beds. The center offers a wide range of diagnostic services in pathology, radiology (such as CT, MRI, and mammography) as well as nuclear medicine (including PET-CT and SPECT-CT) and has a fully equipped blood bank.
Treatment options there include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and preventive and palliative care services including home care and rehabilitation. Revathi said she cannot access similar facilities in a private setting because such facilities are cost prohibitive.
Located in Visakhapatnam, HBCHRC, established in 2014, is a subsidiary of the Atomic Energy Commission and operates under the Tata Memorial Center in Mumbai. Its mission is to provide multidisciplinary, evidence-based, and affordable cancer care, forming the cornerstone of oncology care in the region.
However, the center lacks cancer treatment drugs. HBCHRC drug distribution department officials pointed to lack of funds as the reason.
HBCHRC provides comprehensive care in various specialties including medical oncology, pediatric oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, critical care and anesthesiology, radiodiagnosis, pathology, biochemistry, microbiology, psycho-oncology, hemato-oncology, and preventocology.
In addition, the organization provides important support services such as medical social work, rehabilitation (occupational and physiotherapy), nutrition, speech therapy, and comprehensive palliative care.
As a hub for education and training, HBCHRC coordinates preventive oncology, basic oncology services and palliative care across Andhra Pradesh. Since 2022, it has also served as the secretariat of the Andhra Pradesh chapter of the National Cancer Grid, spearheading initiatives such as virtual tumor boards and providing equipment and technical support for procurement of cancer drugs.
The current crisis highlights the urgent need to resolve financial issues between the state government and the HBCHRC to ensure cancer patients continue to receive the care they need.