Sensitization Meeting on Cancer Telemedicine Services Held at KSSSCI, Lucknow

June 28, 2025

A state-level sensitization meeting was held at Kalyan Singh Super Specialty Cancer Institute (KSSSCI), Lucknow, to discuss the expansion of telemedicine services for cancer care. The meeting was chaired by Prof. M.L.B. Bhatt, Director of KSSSCI. Telemedicine services have already been launched at KSSSCI, enabling patients to consult doctors online. This service is especially beneficial for patients living in remote and rural areas, who often struggle to access specialized medical care. Dr. Bhatt emphasized that with telemedicine, patients will no longer need to travel long distances to receive expert advice. He explained the hub-and-spoke model, under which KSSSCI will serve as the central hub, supporting district hospitals and medical colleges through digital platforms to provide cancer care. The meeting highlighted that telemedicine allows patients in rural and remote areas to receive expert consultations without the need to travel, facilitates early detection and treatment of cancer, and also provides opportunities for doctors to access continuous medical education (CME) and expert guidance online. Dr. Alka Sharma, Nodal Head, NCD, Government of Uttar Pradesh, informed the participants that the state government has already identified 38 day care centers for cancer care, and a pilot project involving 11 main hubs has already started. These centers will offer screening, awareness, treatment, palliative care, and referral services, helping to ensure a more structured approach to cancer management across the state. Prof. Sheetal Verma, Nodal Officer, Telemedicine, KGMU, recommended that the KSSSCI telemedicine platform be connected to the national eSanjeevani portal to increase reach and integration. She assured that KGMU is prepared to train faculty from district hospitals and medical colleges in cancer care protocols in telemedicine, thereby building capacity at the grassroots level. Dr. Navbir, Nodal officer, Telemedicine, RMLIMS also gave her consent to be a part of this initiative. Dr. Ayush Lohiya, Head of the Public Health Department and Nodal Officer for Telemedicine at KSSSCI, extended a vote of thanks and shared that KSSSCI will soon take the lead in working with the Uttar Pradesh Government to establish a state-wide telemedicine cancer care network. He added that this initiative will help build a strong referral system between district hospitals and medical colleges and will involve the preparation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure uniform and high-quality service delivery. Dr. Priyanka, Associate Professor, Gynecological Oncology, KSSSCI also emphasized on the importance of telemedicine in oncology The meeting was attended by principals of 7 medical colleges and representatives from 6 district hospitals, who shared their experiences, suggestions, and feedback. Discussions were also held on how to further improve and strengthen telemedicine services across the state. This meeting marked a significant step toward advancing digital healthcare in Uttar Pradesh, making cancer care more accessible, timely, and patient-friendly. On this occasion Executive Registrar &Medical Superintendent of KSSSCI, Dr. Sharad Singh and Dr. Varun Vijay were also present along with Dr. Mukesh Kumar Yadav, Principal of Mahamaya Government Allopathic Medical College, Ambedkar Nagar, Dr. B.P. Singh, CMS of District Hospital Ayodhya; Dr. Satyajit Verma, Principal of Raj Rishi Dashrath Autonomous State Medical College, Ayodhya; Dr. Ranjeet Dixit, CMS of BhawraoDeoras Civil Hospital, Mahanagar, Lucknow; Dr. Rajesh Srivastava, CMS of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Civil Hospital, Lucknow; Dr. Vinod Pal Singh, CMS of District Hospital Barabanki; Dr. Saurabh Srivastava from Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Greater Noida; Dr. C.P. Pal, Principal of Government Medical College, Kannauj; Dr. Rajendra Singh, Principal of Autonomous State Medical College, Gonda; Dr. Dhananjay, Principal of Autonomous State Medical College, Shrikant; Dr. Zabeen Vishnu Gogoi, Principal of Autonomous State Medical College, Hardoi; Sangeeta Verma, Director of Lokbandhu Shri Raj Narayan Combined Hospital, Lucknow and Ripu Dhaman, Network Manager – Telemedicine from SGPGI Lucknow.