M.M. SHUJAThe incidence of cancer is not rare anymore in India. In the past two decades, the number of cancer patients has increased quite significantly in India. Though the Union Government as well as various state governments have set up many new medical colleges and healthcare centers, there are still thousands of patients from Jammu & Kashmir as well as many other parts of India that come to Mumbai to get treated in Tata Memorial Hospital. There are several good reasons why they choose to go here including trust, expertise, cost-effectiveness, and comprehensive care. The hospital uses modern technology along with a team of committed doctors, nurses, and other paramedical personnel. Both general as well as privately treated patients get the same amount of professional care. With the number of patients increasing day by day in Parel campus, many of the patients are referred to Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Khargar, Navi Mumbai. This center covers a huge area and provides advanced medical treatment along with residential facilities to those poor patients who cannot afford private lodging. People from all corners of the country, including Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and various states in South and West India can be seen coming here for treatment. The most challenging situation that a family can ever face is the time when cancer is diagnosed for the first time. For many, hearing about cancer means facing fear and uncertainty. They experience stress and lose their confidence. Their suffering becomes more when the doctors tell them that their kids will have to travel thousands of kilometers to get specialized treatment in Mumbai. The journey to Tata Memorial Centre usually starts from Homi Bhabha Block where patients are registered for admission in the hospital. Long queues of patients and their attendants stand patiently every morning in order to get themselves registered in the hospital. The patients are registered in general or private categories depending on their financial conditions. Financial help, subsidized drugs, and welfare assistance are available for many deserving children getting treatment in the hospital. But one thing that can never be measured in terms of medical instruments is the compassion of people inside the waiting room of Homi Bhabha Block.
In case of a new patient who is shocked with so many people who are seeking treatment, he/she sits silently and feels scared inside. He/she will sit beside another patient/parent whose child has already received months of treatment without asking their religious belief, caste, language, and region. They might share some biscuits, tea or even some comforting words to the new arrivals.
“What type of cancer has been diagnosed in you?”
“When did your treatment start?”
“Don’t lose hope and be courageous. Stick to the advice of the doctors.”
These sorts of conversations usually become the first form of psychological strength for the newly arrived people. In a matter of a few minutes, the new people become a part of the companions and the fear starts fading away. The patients start preparing themselves psychologically for their chemotherapy, operation or radiotherapy and others. There are also various charitable organizations and NGOs who extend much assistance to the patients especially the kids. They usually give them free books, bags, writing material, ration packets, healthy food, counseling, playtime, yoga classes, and education. Parents sitting outside the paediatric oncology outpatient clinic usually show their utmost gratitude for the medical professionals treating their kids. They usually appreciate doctors for being a source of hope in one of the most trying times of their life. Doctors like Dr. Chetan Damnay, Dr. Aditya, Dr. Yaseen and Dr. Jain, among others and their colleagues, try hard to offer specialized treatment to the children undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Progress of every treatment process is monitored and assessed through regular outpatient visits. The surgeons and other professionals in the surgery department, Dr. Sajid Qureshi and his colleagues, are equally respected for their dedication to the cause. Dedication of the nurses is not behind too. From injection to dressing, everything is done with professional excellence and efficiency. The wards are kept hygienic at all times. Once one patient finishes the chemotherapy, another is ready to take its place immediately. Separate wards are reserved for children and adults, and patients from every economic and social class are treated without discrimination. Rich or poor, whether you are a government official, politician or labourer, everyone is treated on equal footing.
Thousands of people every year avail cancer treatments at the Parel and ACTREC hospitals, while thousands more cases register themselves each year. With cancer treatment facilities available in numerous states, most of the patients find the facilities for infrastructure, costs, and multi-disciplinary treatment the reason why they prefer coming to Mumbai. Nevertheless, visiting Mumbai for some families is not feasible due to the economic burden. Costs go far beyond hospital costs; parents need to stay with their sick kids until completion of the treatment process, making them lose paid jobs and income. In some cases, people even had to sell their property to pay for the travel, accommodation, and living costs during treatment. This situation demonstrates the importance of improving the cancer treatment facilities in the country. While new medical colleges have been opened in numerous states, it is also equally important to create a good regional cancer center equipped with modern technologies, skilled medical personnel, and accessible costs. For each family who enters the Homi Bhabha Block building, fighting cancer does not just involve the treatment of medicine, but it also involves the courage, compassion, and hope that go along with it. In the bustling waiting room of that building, strangers can end up becoming one another’s biggest strength—the kind of therapy that starts with humanity itself.
The Author is Senior Journalist /Human Rights Activist, can be reached at mmshuja@gmail.com
