Tata Memorial Centre inks MoU to improve cancer care in Indonesia

Mumbai: On World Health Day, Mumbai's Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) has signed a Partnership Agreement of Cancer Patient Navigation Programme to address the various needs in cancer care in Indonesia.

The Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) here has signed a Partnership Agreement of Cancer Patient Navigation Programme to improve cancer care in Indonesia, marking World Health Day, here on Thursday. 

The MoU was inked with Dharmais National Cancer Hospital and PT Roche Indonesia, in a virtual ceremony.

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'Patient Navigation' refers to individualised assistance offered to patients, families and caregivers to help overcome healthcare system barriers.

According to TMC Director Rajendra Badwe, despite easy access and quality of cancer care available, there exists a problem in compliance of treatment.

Citing surveys conducted by the TMC and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Badwe revealed that meeting the economic, emotional, psychological, social and cultural needs of a patient are important for positive results in the treatment, and this role is played by the 'Navigators'.

Such a Cancer Patient Navigator (CPN) does not exist in Indonesia at present, and the MoU signed on Thursday is of significance in this context.

Indian Ambassador to Indonesia, Manoj Kumar Bharti, termed the MoU as yet another milestone in India-Indonesia relationship and "very timely when Indonesia holds the G20 Presidency and 'Health' is one of the three main pillars of its focus area".

Lauding the efforts of TMC and other cancer care centres, Indian Ambassador to ASEAN, Jayant Khobragade, said most of the cancer patients remain actual contributors to the nation's growth and thus it is a service to the nation, "so extending their life span is a huge service to the humanity".

TMC offers KEVAT - a one-year advanced post-graduate diploma programme in navigation in oncology, in collaboration with TISS, which provides education in psycho-social aspects of care while TMC renders training in clinical aspects.

The same programme has now been customised to meet the Indonesian requirements through a hybrid learning model combining online tutorial, practical training at TMC, followed by practical training in participating hospitals under the supervision of experts.

After the successful completion of the programme, the students will be conferred with a joint diploma from TMC and TISS.

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