Cancer treatment under government management has become a rare thing in the country. Most of the cancer treatment equipment in the hospital is broken. On Friday, even on the day of closure, when I went to the Mohakhali Cancer Institute, I spotted a patient named Abdur Rahim sitting on the balcony. His house is in Purbadhala, Netrokona. He is suffering from lung cancer. He has been attempting for the past two months to get admitted, but has failed. They sent him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s cancer department. The radiotherapy machine had been shut down for eleven months when he visited. The Mohakhali Cancer Institute had stated that we would begin treatment here if we received radiation therapy from them.
Hundreds of cancer patients like Rahim are roaming around every day in the hope of being admitted to government hospitals. Private treatment is very expensive, which is not possible for poor patients. Even well-off patients, after receiving treatment in private hospitals for a few months, it becomes difficult for them at some point.
Regarding the plight and harassment of cancer patients, the government hospital authorities said that despite many letters to the ministry and the department to repair the machine, the responsible people do not pay attention.
This representative of press went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Mohakhali Cancer Institute and Hospital and talked to doctors and patients. There were complaints of extreme harassment of cancer patients there, and of not being able to get admitted even after waiting for months. Cancer experts have frankly admitted the truth of this. Specialist doctors said that if the patient is given timely and regular treatment after being diagnosed with cancer, most patients recover. After being diagnosed with cancer, medical care starts systematically. Delaying this system or not getting it on time increases the patient’s complications and increases the risk of death. 80 percent of cancer patients’ treatment depends on radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Many also need surgery. The sooner the surgery or treatment is done, the better.
But the mismanagement at the government level further accelerates the patient’s death. They say that it is important to have a committee at the national level consisting of cancer experts. This committee will prepare all the guidelines for medical management and patient medical care. This medical system should be operational at the divisional, district and upazila levels outside Dhaka. So that patients can get treatment step by step. But cancer treatment is Dhaka-centric. Cancer is treated with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy, hormonal, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy.
Professor Dr. AMM Shariful Alam, Head of the Department of Clinical Oncology at Ahsania Mission Cancer and General Hospital, said, the number of cancer patients in the country is high. Compared to the demand, the government treatment system is very limited. And due to the pressure of the patients, it is difficult to get treatment even in private hospitals. If the doctor starts radiotherapy, the patient will continue to recover if he follows the rules prescribed by the doctor. But it seems that due to the pressure of the patients, it is not possible to follow those rules. The machine at the government level breaks down. The patient cannot be given radiotherapy on time. Due to this, he gets sicker than he recovers quickly. If the cancer spreads, even surgery later is of no use.
The first cancer treatment in the country was started at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Talking to the duty officers of the cancer department at this hospital, it was learned that the cobalt machine for radiotherapy here has been broken for 11 months. 85 percent of the patients coming here are poor. They depend on the medical services here. The hospital authorities have made a lot of efforts to get the machine operational. The company that supplied the machine to Bangladesh has been contacted. The local representative of that company has also been contacted. But it could not be activated due to lack of money. Dhaka Medical College Hospital Director Brigadier General Md. Asaduzzaman said, we have received an allocation of 11 lakh taka. We have contacted local representatives. We hope to be able to activate it soon.
Patients are coming from all over the country to the 500-bed Cancer Institute and Hospital in Mohakhali. It was learned from talking to 20 patients that they are not able to get admitted even after waiting for a month/two months. The doctor said that emergency radiotherapy should be given. But that is not possible either. Specialist doctors said that to save the lives of cancer patients, it is necessary to purchase equipment through quotations on an urgent basis. This committee will determine and purchase treatment methods. It will take care of everything from the upazila to Dhaka. The ministry and the department will implement the decision they give. If such arrangements are made, patients will receive medical care. The director of this hospital, Professor Dr. Jahangir Kabir, said, I am providing medical care to patients with two linear accelerator machines. For now, I need 7 machines. One of the two machines is operational. The doctors are providing the maximum medical care within this system. There is still space to install 5/6 machines. Doctors and nurses are struggling to cope with the pressure. Professor Dr. Habibullah Talukder said, there is no accurate statistics on cancer patients in this country. Every year, 167,000 people are newly infected with cancer. 116,000 die.
In contrast, Professor Dr. Joynal Abedi Titu, Line Director of the Directorate General of Health Services, stated that we are preparing the action plan with the utmost importance given to the cancer treatment system. We have taken measures to spread the cancer treatment system wherever it is needed, including at the Mugda Medical College Hospital, Kurmitola General Hospital, and outside Dhaka, up to the divisional level. He stated that a committee should be formed at the national level to determine the action plan for cancer control.
