GMCH, Nagpur saw a drop in number of hospitalizations, but a sharp rise in cancer deaths in 3 years
The number of patients coming to the Out Patient Department (OPD) of GMCH has increased in the last about three years.
NAGPUR: Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), one of the largest medical colleges and hospitals in Asia, The comparative data for the last three years in Nagpur shows a three-fold increase in cancer deaths. As against 49 cancer deaths in 2020 and 31 cancer deaths in 2021, around 173 cancer patients have died in GMCH during treatment in the year 2022.
The number of patients coming to the Out Patient Department (OPD) of GMCH has increased in the last about three years. But the number of hospitalizations has been steadily decreasing, which shows that many health problems are still being solved at the OPD level. The information was shared by GMCH officials in response to an RTI query by activist Abhay Kolarkar.
Experts blamed the Coronavirus pandemic solely for the sharp rise in cancer deaths. “Due to the first and second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, many patients skipped their cancer screenings, Due to which his cancer reached advanced stage. Secondly, patients who were undergoing treatment missed chemotherapy and radiation cycles, ultimately increasing their risk of mortality.” said senior doctors of GMCH.
GMCH received around Rs 166.3 crore as a grant
The number of OPDs has increased from about 5.22 lakh in 2020 to 6.20 lakh in 2022, Which means more than 1,700 patients reported to GMCH on any given day last year. In the year 2020, the number of hospitalized patients was more than 60,000, which has come down to 50,000 in 2022.
Very aggressive Covid-19 vaccination is clearly showing its effect now. More than 1,500 COVID-19 patients have died during the first wave (2020) at GMCH. In the second wave, there have been more than 2,600 deaths due to COVID-19. But in the year 2022, only 56 Kovid-19 patients died during Omicron-Wave. Due to good vaccination coverage, hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 were prevented in 2022, The doctors said.
Abhay Kolarkar had also asked about the funds allocated by the government to GMCH in the last nearly three years. There was a significant increase in government allocations due to the pandemic. In the year 2020, GMCH received around Rs 166.3 crore as a grant. During this pandemic, the hospital received Rs 192 crore in the year 2021. Last year, it got around Rs 193.6 crore, which also means that the increased allocation has continued even after the pandemic.
Also Read: In Nagpur Tajbagh slums are being forcibly evicted
