Bhubaneswar, Dec 7: Bagchi-Karunashraya city space and palliative home care services for cancer patients was inaugurated at Gandamunda  on Tuesday by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra.

In his inaugural address, Mahapatra said, “With this institution Odisha becomes a pioneering state among many cities and States of India in providing such humanitarian service with love, care and relief to the cancer patients during the last days of their lives”. Sri Mahapatra added, “This joint initiative of the Government of Odisha, Bangalore Hospice Trust ( BHT), and Bagchis of Odisha caters to a basic need of the patients who generally feel dejected and  miserable with pain towards last part of the life”.

Mahapatra expressed the hope that the construction of Bagchi Sri Sankar Cancer Hospital would be completed before the scheduled time.  The functioning of the new hospice would open a new era of cancer care in Odisha. 

Further, Mahapatra advised to involve the service oriented NGOs in different districts, and train them about the counseling and palliative care. They could provide the care to cancer patients in remote areas.

Joining the occasion, Director Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Research Center ( AHRCRC)  Dr Lalatendu Sadangi said,  “This institute has added to the complete and wholistic management of the cancer patients. With this institute, a dream is coming true, and the gap of care and relief during last days of life is being catered to which could not be done in cancer hospitals because of the load of patients and other limitations”. He also informed that the center would have 32 nodes in all the districts which would operate in hub and spoke model with the hospice at Bhubaneswar.

Speaking on the Occasion, Managing Trustee of BHT Gurumeet Singh Randhawa thanked Government of Odisha and Baghcis for this pioneering initiative and generosity. He also said that the hospice would function in collaboration with Government of Odisha, AHRCRC and Capital Hospital, and AIMS, Bhubaneswar. Randhawa appraised that the team of Bagchi-Karunashraya palliative care were trained at HBT Banglore and they perfectly carried the whole ethos of Bangalore Karunashraya to Odisha.  

Randhawa added that “Subroto Bagchi and Susmita Bagchi have been associated with BHT for many years. They approached BHT to start free palliative care services in Odisha. The Bagchis donated 130 cr to fund the Bagchi Karunashraya Palliative care centre ( BKPCC). Government of Odisha generously provided 20 Acres of land at Infovalley-II free of cost. The Government  also provided free of cost, 10,000 Sq. ft of building space at Gandamunda, Pokhariput for commencing home care services.

Available data show the home care service was started on 18^th Ovcober,2021 on pilot basis. As of now , as many as 72 patients are being provided palliative care in their homes out of whom 7 patients are from Cuttack city. The BKPCC is providing home care service within 20 to 30 kms radius of Bhubaneswar. This will be expanded gradually on through district nodes, NGOs and service institutions. 

The services provided by our homecare unit of BKPCC is completely free of charge which includes support and consumables for bed bound patient. These services are currently available within 20 to 30 Kms radius of Bhubaneswar city limits. The unit mainly focuses on the economically and socially backward classes. The home care center is also fully equipped to take awareness and training programmes for palliative care and support other palliative care units in their training and research programs.

Staff Nurse Rosalin Senapati and a patient who is under home care, Rupachandra Mallick shared their experiences in the meeting. Senapati said that she got full satisfaction in life by providing the real services to the suffering people, and they all blessed her from their hearts which, She said was “no less than the blessings of God”.

Senapati, who was a wild life photographer in profession, said that the service provided by the BKPCC team made him able to get up from bed, walk and even do some works which gave him satisfaction.

 On this occasion one MOU was signed between AHRCRC for collaborative operation in treatment and management of the cancer patients.

Subroto Bagchi, Susmita Bagchi, Director Capital Hospital Dr Laxmidhar Sahoo, Associate Director, BHT Dr Babita Varkey participated in the occasion.