Govt sets ball rolling for state’s first Cancer Care

SHILLONG, Dec 14: The state government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Apollo Telehealth Foundation, paving the way for the first Cancer Care in Meghalaya.
The MoU was signed in Shillong on Wednesday.
Reacting to the agreement, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma admitted that Meghalaya faces challenges when it comes to the health sector. “It starts from simple things like a child’s health, a mother’s health, the nutrition of the child and a disease like cancer, the incidence of which is also very high in the state,” he said.
“There are numerous challenges in this sector and we have set out on a war footing to address those challenges,” Conrad stated.
The chief minister said that the project, which is the first in the country, could be a model for others to follow and replicate.
“With the involvement of partners like World Economic Forum and Apollo Healthcare, this will prove to be path-breaking not only in Meghalaya where cancer is high but also for the rest of the country,” he said.
Conrad further urged all stakeholders involved in the project to keep the larger goal of saving lives in mind.
“The motivation and guiding principle should be that every single individual afflicted with cancer can be saved by early diagnosis and giving the right treatment,” the chief minister said.
It may be mentioned that under the project, screening of cancer could be done at health and wellness centers.
“ASHAs to senior health staff will be given training programs for skilling. Screening diagnosis and treatment will be carried out at NCD clinics with a Pathology Lab at Civil Hospital, Shillong. The pilot district under the project is East Khasi Hills,” a statement in this regard informed.