Tata Memorial distributes 3,800 concentrators to cancer grid hospitals
By TIOL News Service
NEW DELHI, MAY 10, 2021: THE Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), a tertiary cancer center under the Department of Atomic Energy, has sourced 3,800 oxygen concentrators and over 3 lakh N95 masks for distribution to over 200 hospitals across India that are part of the National Cancer Grid (NCG).
On Sunday, a chartered FedEx 777 cargo plane landed in Mumbai with 3,400 portable oxygen concentrators and 3 lakh N95 masks, while an Air India plane landed in Delhi with 400 concentrators.
These are the third and fourth shipments that TMC has imported, carrying in around 5,000 oxygen concentrators in the past two week from the US. The stock was distributed in 25 cities to hospitals based on their requirements for oxygen so that “many can breathe well.”
The hospital’s directors, Mr Rajendra Badwe and Mr CS Pramesh said they were also collecting requests for equipment and consumables from other NCG hospitals, and mapping COVID-19 infections to determine where the greatest needs are and prioritising government and charitable organisations to finalise the allocation.
Throughout the pandemic, TMC has been responsible for protecting cancer patients who are far more susceptible to an adverse event from COVID-19 than others. Adding to the risks that COVID-19 presents, the risk of untreated cancer looms large as it can be more fatal than the virus.
All seven TMC centres across India – Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Sangrur, Varanasi, Guwahati, Vishakhapatnam and Muzaffarpur – have continued cancer care throughout the pandemic.
Together, they have managed to treat over 80,000 patients with cancer in spite of a raging pandemic. In addition, over 2,000 patients with cancer and COVID-19 have been treated for in the various centres.