Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
With the aim of providing cancer patients not only medical treatment but also psychological, social and administrative support, the government cancer hospital (state cancer institute) has started the ‘Karuna’ patient interaction and assistance centre. Through this centre, patients and their relatives are guided every morning by understanding the difficulties and issues they face during the course of treatment.
As cancer treatment is a long-term process, many patients and their families experience mental stress, confusion due to lack of information, and unawareness about various government schemes. Keeping this in mind, the ‘Karuna’ patient interaction and assistance centre has been conceptualised by the hospital’s officer on special duty Dr Arvind Gaikwad.
Through this centre, Dr Arvind Gaikwad personally interacts with patients and their relatives on a daily basis, providing information about treatment procedures, investigations, surgeries, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Queries raised by patients and relatives are addressed, with emphasis on empathetic communication to reduce mental stress during treatment.
The centre also coordinates with various departments of the hospital to ensure that patients reach the appropriate facilities on time, complete necessary documentation, and resolve hurdles encountered during the treatment process.
Photo caption:
Dr Arvind Gaikwad interacting with cancer patients and their relatives.