Odisha government will provide palliative care to cancer patients at the district level from October 2 next.

The first phase of the treatment in this regard would be provided in Capital Hospital Bhubaneswar and seven other district Headquarter hospitals, a high-level meeting chaired by Health and Family Welfare Minister decided on 17th August. As per the decision, the government will provide treatment to those patients who are taking chemotherapy. The government will provide the required medicine and bed at the district level for the purpose.

The palliative care will be launched in Balasore, Baragarh, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nayagarh and in Sundergarh districts besides Capital hospital, Bhubaneswar. The government has planned to extend the facilities to all the districts by 2020-21. At present Chemotherapy is being provided to Cancer patients in Capital hospital, Bhubaneswar and in 26 other District headquarter hospitals. Soon it would be launched in Cuttack City Hospital, Puri, Malkanngiri, Mayurbhanj, Deogarh, Angul district headquarter hospital, VIMSAR of Burla and MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur.

Arrangements would be made to provide quality medicare to the patients in MKCG and VIMSAR. The meeting also decided to operationalize 15 Cancer detection centre by 2020 as per the agreement the state government had signed with the TATA Trust to set up a Cancer Research Centre at Barang in Cuttack district.