Patna, July 28 (IANS) Aiming to strengthen childhood cancer services, the Bihar government’s State Health Society on Tuesday signed an MoU with a society of experts under the Change for Childhood Cancer initiative, making it the 10th State aiming to create an integrated pathway to detect, diagnose and treat children.
The MoU was signed by Amit Kumar Pandey, IAS, Executive Director, State Health Society, Bihar, in the presence of Additional Executive Director Anupama and senior officials of the State Health Society.
The partnership will strengthen childhood cancer services across Bihar’s four Childhood Cancer Care District Clusters (CCDCs) and all 38 districts with the help of Cankids for creating an integrated pathway to diagnose, refer, treat and provide shared care for every child with cancer.
Poonam Bagai, Member, ICMR Central Ethics Committee on Human Research, Cankids founder and Childhood Cancer International’s WHO South East Asia Region Representative, said the partnership with the Bihar government reflects a shared commitment to achieve 100 per cent access to care, 100 per cent financial protection and at least 60 per cent survival by 2030.
She said a key highlight of the day’s developments was the collective affirmation of “The Bihar Promise”, with government representatives, clinicians, survivors, parents and partners taking a pledge.
The collective oath said, “We pledge to work together so that no child with cancer in Bihar remains unfound, untreated or unprotected. Together, we will build a coordinated, child-centred system that ensures timely detection, diagnosis, referral, treatment, shared care and financial protection, giving every child the opportunity to survive and thrive.”
She said her team members have been working with Bihar’s four major childhood cancer treatment centres since 2008.
“Together, these centres, along with children referred for treatment outside the state, currently account for an estimated 53 per cent of access to childhood cancer care. The partnership seeks to significantly improve this through a coordinated Government-led network,” she said.
“The Bihar Promise” event was held at Mahavir Cancer Sansthan (MCS), Patna, where CanKids established its first Hospital Support Unit outside Delhi in 2008–09. The programme was presided over by Professor Biswajit Sanyal, Director, Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, and Medical Superintendent L. B. Singh.
The event was attended by Amita Mahajan, Senior Paediatric Oncologist; Dr Haresh Gupta, Deputy CEO; Chandan Kumar, childhood cancer survivor; and Shobha Singh, Director, Change for Childhood Cancer – Bihar.
–IANS
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