Pfizer launches Project Aastha helpdesk at RCC, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College, Raipur – ET HealthWorld

New Delhi: Pfizer launched the Project Aastha helpdesk at the Regional Cancer Center (RCC), Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College, Raipur. The helpdesk was inaugurated by T Singh Deo, Health Minister, Chhattisgarh under Project Aastha, which is part of an ongoing partnership between Pfizer and Doctors For You to set up cancer-care support services in 10 cancer hospitals in eight states across India. RCC is now the sixth hospital in the country to have this service.

Speaking at the launch, Deo, said, “We welcome Project Aastha to Chhattisgarh and thank the partners for giving us the critical support we need to manage cancer in our state.”

Dr Vivek Chaudhary, Regional Cancer Center (RCC), Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College, said, “The arrival of Project Aastha at our hospital will help us make sure that our patients get the support that they need during cancer treatment and subsequent follow-ups. This is of particular importance to our patients who are socioeconomically more vulnerable and those who do not have a personal support structure. We believe that this programme will make a big difference in the lives of both patients and their families in the states of Odisha and Chhattisgarh.”

Commenting on the programme, S Sridhar, Managing Director, Pfizer Limited, said, “The Aastha Helpdesk will support cancer patients and their families in several important aspects, including access to available funding for treatment, access to accommodation for families, counselling support, and overall navigation in the hospital. We have already seen the difference that this project has made in the lives of patients in other cities, and we are convinced that it will do the same here.”

The helpdesk, set up in the R block of the hospital, will support patients with registration; travel booking information and support; local accommodation guidance and linkages; dietary counselling between and after chemotherapy, emotional and mental health counselling over a helpline or in person; counselling and referrals in case patients have comorbid conditions; inter and intra hospital shifting and wheelchair management; referral of cancer patients to other field specialists for non-cancer-related medical issues, and follow-ups with registered patients.

Commenting on the programme, Dr Rajat Jain, President, Doctors for You, said, “It will also enable us to extend our support to remote and tribal areas where we already offer some cancer services.”

Since its launch in late 2021, Project Aastha has assisted over 6,00,000 patients in five hospitals around the country: Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai; B. Baruah Hospital, Guwahati; Homi Bhabha Hospital, Varanasi; Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna; and The Gujarat Cancer & Research Institute, Ahmedabad.