Page 67 - Essentia Vol 5 Issue 1

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A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION A BIANNUAL NEWSLETTER OF ASSAM CANCER CARE FOUNDATION

Based Palliative Care has reached thousands who with Diphu coming up next. Quality, excellence in
could not travel. The Sahयोग Cancer Survivorship care delivery and patient safety remain central to
programme has supported those learning to live its mission. Four hospitals, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur,
through and beyond cancer. Kokrajhar and Jorhat, are NABH-accredited,
Trust in ACCF has been built over more than four with processes underway across the remaining
years. It has brought CSR partners for underserved centres.
communities, community outreach and critical
equipment. It has brought confidence to patients, Empanelments and access
attendants, governments, insurers, corporates At an ACCF reception, a PM-JAY beneficiary from a
and healthcare partners. Most importantly, it has nearby village may sit beside a CGHS pensioner, a
brought hope back into the cancer care journey. tea garden worker under MMLSAY, and a corporate
executive with private insurance. Different
The foundation built on trust cards, but the same protocols and dignity once

On 28 April 2022, ACCF’s first seven hospitals were registered under an empanelled scheme.
formally dedicated to the nation by the Hon’ble Prime Assam’s health insurance penetration was once
Minister in the presence of Late Shri Ratan Naval Tata. limited. The National Family Health Survey 2019-
It was more than an inauguration. It was a promise 20 found that 60% of households had some
that world-class cancer care would no longer insurance cover, up from 10% in 2015-16. Today,
remain a metro privilege. through AB-PMJAY, Ayushman Asom and MMLSAY,
Today, that promise runs through a network of coverage has expanded rapidly to families in rural
ACCF hospitals, an initiative of the Government areas, tea gardens and small towns. By linking
of Assam and the Tata Trusts. ACCF is a Section benefits to ration cards, these initiatives have
8 company operating through a Distributed made cashless healthcare accessible to millions
Cancer Care Model (DCCM), with a plan to set up of underserved citizens, reducing the burden of
17 hospitals. Of these, 12 cancer care hospitals are medical expenses.
already operational. Empanelment at ACCF was never meant to be
The network includes the Level 1 apex State a file of MoUs. It was meant to be a door that
Cancer Institute, Guwahati, with PET-MRI, PET- treats every life with dignity. Behind every signed
CT with an in-house cyclotron, Bone Marrow MoU is paperwork discipline, clinical excellence
Transplant, Gamma Camera, Robotic Surgery, and statutory readiness. NABH, CGHS, Section
Tomotherapy and High-Dose Iodine Therapy. Level 17B income tax exemption, ROHINI registration,
2 comprehensive hospitals at Dibrugarh, Barpeta, compliance documents, board approvals and
Silchar and Diphu provide radiation, surgery, hospital legal-name clearances together became
medical oncology and nuclear medicine services. part of a method.
Level 3 diagnostic and day-care units in Tezpur, Today, ACCF is on nearly every major government
Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Kokrajhar, Darrang, Tinsukia panel, including AB-PMJAY, MMLSAY, CGHS,
and Golaghat bring radiation, chemotherapy and ESIC and ECHS. The network has crossed state
palliative care closer to patients. borders through Arunachal Pradesh’s CMAAY,
Delegations from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Nagaland’s CMHIS and Mizoram’s MUHCS, with
Bihar have visited to study how Assam built this discussions active with Meghalaya, Manipur and
model. ACCF is also advancing cancer care Tripura. The same trust extends to corporates and
through research, academics and personnel PSUs, including NRL, Northeast Frontier Railway,
development. It has secured approvals for Oil India, ONGC, NTPC, BCPL, APPL, AGCL, FCI,
advanced oncology programmes and established Coal India and AAI. Employees and their families
B.Sc. Nursing Colleges at Barpeta and Lakhimpur, are covered under ACCF’s cashless care network,

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