Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO) has initiated a new strategy to team-up with corporate bodies and voluntary organizations to give a fillip to the Karnataka Cancer Control Programme, which is approved by the state government and recommended by the State Task Force on Health and Family Welfare. The programme which calls for a massive education drive about cancer, early detection and prevention needs ample corporate and non-governmental organizational support.

The programme, which began in a small way at Kanakapura in the outskirts of Bangalore, has proved to be a success as nearly 75 per cent of early cancer cases have approached Kidwai for treatment saving cost and concern for patients. The Institute has chalked out an action plan to approach the village panchayats to reach every village in the state through non-governmental organizations including Lions Club, Rotary Club and angawadis to integrate with the primary health centres across the state. But it is facing a huge financial crunch.

The government is providing reimbursements for treatments from private hospitals for their employees. Now Kidwai is looking to corporate houses for assistance to educate people on cancer prevention, stated Dr PS Prabhakaran, director and head of surgery, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology.

For Kidwai to go aggressive in its Cancer Control Programme, it needs corporate houses and voluntary organizations to come forward to help them with manpower, money and propagate the advantage of early detection. At Kanakapura, Kidwai did not require any funds as the Lions Clubs and other agencies came forward to provide all the help, he stated.

The Institute is also hoping to increase the number of peripheral cancer centres which are now located only at Mandya and Gulbarga, to another 25 districts. But with finance being the biggest hitch, it is unable to move forward. To start a peripheral centre it needs Rs.5 crore and to run the centre it needs Rs.70-80 lakh, informed Dr Prabhakaran.

While the main focus of the institute is to provide treatment to the poor, several affordable patients access the facility as it is known for its diagnosis, treatment, surgical expertise. Currently, out of the 500-beds at KMIO, 120 are pay beds.

Convinced about Kidwai's capability in cancer cure and care, the state government has chipped a funding of Rs.6 crore to commence the construction and the institute is sourcing Rs.20-25 lakh from the bank loans, informed Dr Prabhakaran.

Cancer is a poor man's disease but its treatment is most expensive. government has been supportive but its funds have not been proportionate with the increasing number of patients and the requirements of drugs. The institute is now looking at revenue generation and is setting up the facility for affordable patients who in turn will provide relief for treating poor patients. For its massive awareness programmes, only corporate houses can provide the much needed support to prevent cancer, he said.

Among its notable credentials to attract the corporate houses are its recognition by the government of India for the best of technology, clinical expertise and panel of doctors and it is also the only institute in the country recognized for the WHO Fellowship in oncology for Asia. It is the first centre in India to provide oral morphine for the whole country. The Kidwai Cancer Drugs Foundation has been a one of a kind where drugs are procured directly from pharma companies at sold at 40 per cent cheaper than the market cost, he said.