Summary:
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Health minister K K Shailaja said in the assembly that the state has witnessed a considerable increase in the number of cancer patients. In 2017, at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), 32,622 new cases were registered while 8,979 cases were registered at Malabar Cancer Centre. Muhsin said cancer patients from Malabar region were experiencing a painful ordeal, owing to the restrictions imposed by RCC in distributing the painkiller drug. In 2017, the number went up to 61,404.The minister said a grid connecting all hospitals offering treatment for cancer has been formed in the state. A comprehensive cancer department is being set up in five government medical college hospitals and would help extend the reach of cancer care to more people in the state..