To bridge the gap and address diverse needs in cancer care, Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) has signed a partnership agreement with Indonesia for the Cancer Patient Navigation (CPN) programme.

The MoU was signed virtually by TMC, Dharmais National Cancer Hospital and PT Roche Indonesia on April 7, World Health Day. The first of its kind collaboration in Indonesia is aimed to provide better patient experience and cancer care outcomes through capacity building programmes.

Patient navigation is individualized assistance offered to patients, families and caregivers to help overcome healthcare system barriers.

The role of navigators include screening and early detection activities, assisting patients in hospital based procedures  and processes, identifying and triaging vulnerable patients, assessing  patients’ understanding of diagnosis, explaining diagnosis and procedures facilitating communication with the treatment teams, preparing patients for procedures, identifying financial resources for patients, linking patients to appropriate resources, sensitising clinicians to patient needs, reminding patients to follow up visits , providing psycho social support, counselling patients and caregivers with seamless support throughout the continuum of cancer care among other assistance.

Speaking on the occasion, TMC director Dr Rajendra Badwe said that in spite of the easy access and quality of cancer care available there exists a problem in compliance of the treatment. He said that surveys conducted by TMC and TISS have revealed that meeting the economic, emotional, psychological, social and cultural needs of a patient are as important for positive results in the treatment. This role is played by ‘navigators.’  

Such a Cancer Patient Navigator (CPN) does not exist in Indonesia at present. Against this backdrop the MoU signed by TMC assumes significance.

Badwe said that the SOPs based on the said survey will be tweaked for Indonesia, so they are effective locally.      

The Indian ambassador to Indonesia, Manoj Kumar Bharti, said that this MoU is yet another milestone in the India-Indonesia relationship. “This is very timely when Indonesia holds the G20 Presidency and ‘Health’ is one of the three main pillars of its focus area,” he said.

The Indian ambassador to ASEAN, Jayant Khobragade, said that most cancer patients remain actual contributors to the nation’s growth and thus it is a service to the nation. Extending their life span is a huge service to the humanity.

TMC is the first institution across the world to offers KEVAT a one-year Advanced Post-Graduate Diploma Programme in Navigation in Oncology. The programme is held along with Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) where TMC renders training in clinical aspects and education in psycho-social aspects of care is given by TISS. It was designed to address unmet needs of patient care with the overhang of cultural, social, economic and educational diversity.

So far KEVATS at TMC have as assisted almost 4 lakh patients under different domains since the inception of program. This is the first international collaboration under KEVAT and TMC will train 20 candidates from Indonesia.     

The training intensive programme for Indonesia features learning through a hybrid learning model that combines online tutorial and  practical training at TMC  followed with practical training in participating hospitals under the supervision of experts. After the successful completion of the program the students will be conferred with a joint diploma from TMC and TISS.