70,000 cancer patients received treatment in a newly built Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Center

By Mahima Devkota, Kathmandu, Sept.7:  A total of 70,000 cancer patients have received care in the newly built Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Center which came into operation just a year ago.

Addressing an inauguration program of the Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Center under the T.U Teaching Hospital, Prof. Dr. Yogendra Prasad Singh, Coordinator of the Surendra Wagle Memorial Cancer Center Infrastructure Committee, said that the center has provided treatment to over 70,000 cancer patients in a year.

The center will help in the early detection of cancer which has mortality rate as high as 73 per cent in the country and can provide a comprehensive care to cancer patients who usually have many chronic conditions and needs a multi- specialty treatment.

Dr Singh said, “Around 30,000 new cases of cancer get diagnosed in Nepal, of which, around 22,000 new cases face mortality and the number can rise to 50,000 if old cases are added as well. Therefore, a strong cancer care is required in the country, which is being fulfilled by the center.”

The Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Center was built in the memory of Suresh Wagle, who was a member of CPN (Maoist Center) Politburo and lost his life untimely. The foundation was laid by former Prime Minister, Baburam Bhattarai on 2012. It took 10 years to complete the building. It came into emergency use a year ago because of need to provide care to COVID-19 patients.

Prof. Dr. Divya Singh Shah, Dean of the T.U Teaching Hospital said that despite the hurdles, the center was finally completed after 10 years of diligent attempt.

She said, “In the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the center was a huge relief in saving patients and providing treatment. We used the building in sheltering OCVID-19 patients and not a single patient was returned without treatment.”

According to her, the center will be helpful not only giving oncology treatment but producing skilled manpower as well.

She pointed out that radiotherapy, chemotherapy and operation are the three pillars of oncology services. Therefore, there is a need to add the equipment in the center and said that Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) needs to pay attention on this issue.

She said that there is a requirement of 90 doctors, 110 nurses and 40 technical staffs to function effectively.

The center has been operating for over a year, where, around 70,000 patients has received a treatment. If the center will be fully equipped then it can provide quality of care. There is a total of 140 beds in the Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Center, where, 10 beds are in Intensive Care Units (ICU).

Bhawani Prasad Khapung, Minister of Health and Population said that TU. Teaching hospital is major hospital of country which has been giving services to denizens nationwide since the last 40 years.

It is a muti- specialty hospital which is attended by people of all class, caste and religion and adding an oncology center to the hospital will provide a relief to Bharatpur and Bhaktapur Cancer Hospitals.

 Minister Khapung altered the hospital authorities about the discrepancies in the medical center and said that one small mistake can take life, therefore, there is a need to be vigilant in such matter.

Likewise, Prof. Dr. Dinesh Kalfe, Director of the Teaching Hospital said that the start of Suresh Wagle Memorial Cancer Center will give relief to denizens.

He stressed on the need of medical equipment for the center to function fully and hoped that there will be needed support from health ministry.

Currently, there is a total of 1,000 beds, 515 doctors and 900 are employed under the T.U. Teaching Hospital.