In a significant move to enhance healthcare delivery for cancer patients, the Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32 (GMCH-32) has relocated its Radiation Oncology outpatient department (OPD), day care services, and wards to the South Campus Hospital in Sector 48. The transition, aimed at managing the growing influx of patients from across the region, became operational recently.
Expanded Facilities to Reduce Patient Wait Times
Dr. G P Thami, the director-principal of GMCH-32, confirmed the shift, stating that the new location now houses all essential services under one roof. Registration, sample collection, diagnostic tests, and treatment using the latest machines are now available at the Sector 48 facility. The hospital is currently catering to approximately 40 to 50 oncology patients daily.
"We want more patients from nearby areas to benefit from the services here. This will save their time," Dr. Thami explained. He added that while general and geriatric OPDs are already functional, specialist doctors from various departments will also hold sessions on a scheduled basis. For specific advanced tests, patients will be referred back to the main GMCH-32 campus. The hospital has plans to augment its diagnostic capacity with the purchase of an X-Ray machine and other equipment soon.
Free Ambulance Service Bridges the Gap
A critical component of this decentralized model is the provision of a free ambulance service for patient transit between the GMCH-32 main building in Sector 32 and the South Campus Hospital in Sector 48. This service ensures that patient mobility and access between the two sites for different levels of care remain seamless and cost-free.
Study Highlights Alarming Rise in Regional Cancer Burden
This administrative move comes against the backdrop of a steadily increasing cancer burden in Chandigarh's tertiary care centers. A 2021 hospital-based study published in the International Journal of Medical Research and Health Sciences, titled 'An increasing cancer burden in tertiary care health centres of Chandigarh', laid bare the scale of the challenge.
The research, which involved over 3,000 cancer patients from GMCH-32 and PGIMER, found a startling 78.75% increase in the growth rate of the cancer burden over just five years. New patient registrations climbed from 1,750 in 2015 to 2,222 in 2019.
Dr. Dimri K Suraj, a corresponding author of the study, pointed out that the lack of adequate tertiary care centers, proper guidance, and late referrals in neighboring states are major contributing factors. Most patients (over 57.4%) arrive in Chandigarh only at an advanced stage of the disease. The majority hail from Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh itself.
The study also revealed key lifestyle patterns among patients:
- A history of smoking was present in 25.60% of patients.
- Tobacco chewing was reported by 6.1% and alcohol intake by 21.3%.
- About 41.5% were non-vegetarian, with very low consumption of green vegetables.
- Junk food consumption was remarkably high at 78.7%.
In terms of cancer types, breast cancer was the highest among women, while lip and oral cavity cancer was most prevalent among men.
A Step Towards Decongesting Core Services
The shift of radiation oncology services to the South Campus is a strategic step by GMCH-32 to decongest its main facility and reduce waiting periods. By creating a dedicated, well-equipped satellite center for cancer care, the hospital aims to provide more focused and timely treatment. The initiative reflects an institutional response to the empirical data on rising cancer cases, striving to improve healthcare infrastructure and accessibility for patients from across North India.
