Tata Memorial Centre Trains 73 Healthcare Workers As Cancer Navigators In Mumbai
The Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Mumbai has launched a virtual master's course to train healthcare workers as oncology patient navigators, celebrating the graduation of its first batch of 73 participants on June 6. The new initiative, developed in partnership with the National Health Mission (NHM) Maharashtra and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), aims to help cancer patients navigate complex diagnosis and treatment processes while improving coordination with doctors.
The graduating class included 49 medical officers from NHM Maharashtra and 24 from the BMC. These trained professionals will serve as crucial links between patients and medical staff, particularly aiding those who travel for treatment and face language, cultural, or financial barriers.
According to Dr. R.A. Badwe, honorary professor emeritus at Tata Memorial Hospital, the navigators will act as representatives of the patients to doctors, and representatives of the doctors to patients.
The initiative comes as India's cancer burden continues to rise. Dr. Badwe noted that India currently has 110 cancer cases per lakh population in urban areas, compared to 45 cases per lakh in rural areas. He attributed 40 percent of cancers in India to tobacco, 20 percent to infections, and 20 percent to obesity, warning that rapid urbanization will increase patient numbers and the subsequent need for trained navigators.
BMC Executive Health Officer Dr. Daksha Shah explained that the trained ward-level coordinators will guide patients identified through cancer screening programs.
"The navigators will direct patients on where to take tests, counsel them if they get lost from the system due to fear, apprehension, or anxiety, and bring them back into the healthcare network," Dr. Shah said. She added that they would also assist patients with existing government schemes, expressing hope to take this initiative forward to the hospital level subsequently.
The one-year virtual master's course is offered through the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and is currently open to nominees from partner organizations. In addition to local municipal bodies, TMC has also trained healthcare professionals from Indonesia under the initiative.
