Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 14: Minister for Health, Horticulture & Floriculture, Sham Lal Sharma today said the Government is contemplating to declare cancer as a Notified Disease even as he stressed the need for palliative care for the patients suffering from the life consuming disease.
Delivering the presidential address at a function to mark the world palliative care, the Minister said given the enormity of discomfort the disease gives to a patient and his or her family both socially and financially, the Government is contemplating to give the disease status of Notified Disease under which the patients would be given free treatment and enhanced attention.
The function was organized by Hakim Sanaullah Hospital & Cancer Centre, Mazbug, Sopore to mark the World Palliative Care Day.
The Minister said as the disease is a life consuming one, management of a patient and his vital statistics is very important. He said the concept of palliative care becomes very important for such patients who deserve utmost attention by not only their kith and kin but by the doctors, paramedics and other relevant quarters equally.
Terming medical profession a godly duty, the Minister asked the doctors to invoke dedication and sincerity in their service. He said for a patient a doctor is the only source of hope, next to God only. He lamented the present commercialization of medical profession saying the doctors should revert back to value based service from the current value added service.
Asking the doctors serving outside to pay back the moral debt to their society, Mr. Sham said the residents of this poor State need their services more than the affluent and moneyed societies outside the State and the country.
Earlier, Director of the Hospital, Dr. Shad Salim Akhtar highlighted the significance of World Palliative Care Day. He said management of pain is an important constituent of treatment to a cancer patient. He said “as we have a right of an honourable life so have we a right of an honourable and peaceful death in the midst of our loved ones. He stressed the need for a pain free life to a terminally ill patient.
Several Medical and Surgical Oncologists from within and outside the State shared their observations about management of cancer and its patients. These included Dr. Shoab Zaidi, Senior Consultant, Oncology, Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, Prof. Ashraf Teli, Radiation Oncologist, SKIMS, Prof. Shiekh Ajaz, Medical Oncologist, SKIMS, Prof Nisar Wani, Surgical Oncologist, GMC, Srinagar, Director, RPG Life Sciences, Chennai and other senior doctors.
A notable feature of function was an open interaction between the surviours of the disease, kin of the patients killed by the disease and the audience during which the patients and their wards shared their experiences and difficulties while battling the disease.
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