Kolkata : In commemoration of National Cancer Awareness Day, Medica Superspecialty Hospital, a leading healthcare provider in Kolkata, hosted an interesting panel discussion – ‘Focusing on the important role of NGOs in making modern cancer treatment more accessible to economically disadvantaged patients in private healthcare facilities’. Representatives of reputable NGOs such as Rotary, Fight Cancer, Cancer Fight Foundation, Jadavpur Pension Association, Gauri Bari Welfare, Cankids and Dinantejoined the discussion as panelists, moderated by Prof. (Dr.) Subir Ganguly, Senior Consultant and Advisor in Radiation Oncology. A few of the cancer survivors were also present during the discussion.
This year’s National Cancer Awareness Day theme, ‘Prevention, Early Detection and Treatment,’ emphasizes the need for vigilance to recognize early signs and accessible care. Financial barriers often prevent many people from seeking cancer treatment. And NGOs play a key role in bridging this gap. In cooperation with private hospitals These organizations help patients get the treatment they need. They usually support or subsidize medical expenses.
During the discussion, Prof. (Dr.) Subir Ganguly, remarked, ‘Many lives are lost to cancer, and sadly, some of these losses are due to limited access to treatment. For many, the high cost of cancer care makes it unaffordable, leaving critical treatments out of reach. Here, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have an important role to play in making cancer treatment more accessible and affordable for people from lower economic backgrounds. These organizations fill health care gaps by providing essential services such as financial assistance. In collaboration with private hospitals, they provide inexpensive treatment options and necessary services, like free screenings to patients. NGOs often run awareness campaigns to prevent cancer and are additionally involved in providing emotional and logistical support, such as counseling, Nutrition advice and transportation assistance to cancer patients. At Medica, we also work with many NGOs to make cancer care affordable for the patients in need and we are quite successful in associating with the NGOs which benefited the patients. In the near future, we look to collaborate with more such organizations to help our patients.’
Dr. Ayanabh Debgupta, Regional Chief Operating Officer, Manipal Hospitals (East), shared, ‘Cancer is the biggest threat to our society and being healthcare professionals, our top priority is to make cancer treatment affordable and accessible for patients in need. It is heartbreaking to see people losing their lives due to lack of treatment. From the very beginning, we have partnered with various non-governmental organizations to support patients from lower economical background. Through these collaborations, we have been able to ease some of their financial burden, and we will continue to support our patients in this way at our hospitals.’
