Rapid surge in cancer cases our biggest challenge: Kidwai director

Kidwai Hospital, which was recently recognised for its services during the pandemic, is set to see an enhancement in its services in May. On the eve of World Cancer Day, Director of the hospital C Ramachandra told DH about the challenges faced by the hospital.

DH: Covid-19 has shown the importance of health infrastructure. Where does Kidwai stand in terms of expanding its services?

We are hopeful of opening the 1 lakh square feet OPD by the end of May. We will have 13 operation theatres, 90 ICU beds and 10 radiation machines to meet the growing demands. Our bed capacity will increase from 650 to 1,000 beds. In addition, a special block of 80 to 100 beds will come up soon. The aim is to bring all the specialised care at one place so that people need not wander from one hospital to another.

What are the major takeaways from the Covid-19?

The steps we took in establishing isolation ward and making the Covid-19 negative report mandatory for patients and caregivers played a big role. Our initial fears that fatality among our patients would be high due to their compromised immunity have been allayed by the data. We now have ready-made set of measures to face a pandemic.

Are there plans to extend the services to other districts and improve the quality of services in places like Kalaburagi and Mandya?

It is true that the waiting is truly long. We are seeing about 1,200 to 1,500 patients everyday in Bengaluru. Work is underway to upgrade facilities in other districts. In Tumakuru, tenders will be called in two weeks for building an 80-bed hospital. In Hubballi and Mysuru, we will soon upgrade the services after taking over the space at the medical institutions. Our Kalaburagi facility is already doing well. However, we need to expand services in Bidar, Karwar, Hassan and Mandya.

What is the major challenge for Kidwai?

Our biggest challenge remains the rampant increase in breast cancer, lung cancer and tobacco-related cancer cases. Last year, we operated on a 19-year-old woman who had bilateral breast cancer. Sedentary lifestyle, stress and consumption of high calorie food are among the leading causes for breast and ovarian cancer. There is a steep increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption. There is a need for lifestyle change, especially among the youth.