Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), the world’s oldest and largest private cancer centre, has launched MSKCC India to provide cancer patients in the country with access to the institution’s renowned oncologists, research, clinical trials and education.
As part of this first-of-its-kind offering, MSKCC India will provide remote opinions via video or written consultations. An MSKCC oncologist, who specialises in a patient’s form of cancer, will review their medical records, test results and other materials and provide a comprehensive written opinion, meet with the patient virtually using telemedicine technology and speak with his/her local oncologist about their diagnosis and care plan.
In some cases, they may recommend that the patient travel to receive care at MSKCC in New York City.
“Meeting the needs of cancer patients in India and improving their long-term health and survival rates will require close collaboration with the cancer community in India, and MSKCC India marks an important first step toward advancing such collaborations,” said Sir Murray Brennan, MD, senior vice-president of International Programs at MSKCC.
For this initiative, MSKCC has partnered with iCliniq, a global telemedicine provider based in India.
MSKCC India will open a physical location in Chennai, which will serve as a hub for medical staff who would coordinate with patients in English and various native languages.
Patients from across the country will be able to obtain remote opinion from experts at MSKCC from the comfort zone of their home or any other internet-enabled location without travelling to MSKCC India in Chennai.
“MSKCC India will provide high-quality care to more individuals by bringing together our experts, Indian doctors, scientists, patient advocacy groups and other stakeholders. As this is remote, there is a lot of flexibility to coordinate sessions during hours that are both convenient for patients, the MSKCC India team and the centre’s physicians from New York,” said Mrinal Gounder, MD, a medical oncologist and physician ambassador to India and Asia at MSKCC.
Source: indianext.co.in
