Odisha notifies cancer as a ‘reportable disease’

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government on Wednesday notified cancer as a reportable disease for early detection and treatment.

In a notification, the state health department said estimation of cancer burden and its distribution with respect to time and place is important to mobilise resources for prevention and control, and reducing the mortalities attributed to it.

Prevalence of particular types of cancer in some geographical areas needs proper attention.

The state government, after due consideration of the matter, has also found it imperative that all diagnosed cancer incidences should be reported to the appropriate authority for early detection and treatment of disease, it said.

The state has asked all persons concerned in hospitals (private or public), pathological, clinical and radiological labs, institutions imparting medical education and providing diagnostic treatment, palliative care and any other healthcare related facilities to mandatorily report diagnosed cases of cancer.

Now, it is the responsibility of every doctor, pathologist and medical establishment in Odisha to report about the cancer case within two weeks from date of diagnosis.

The state government has already started Population Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) in Khordha district from October 15, 2022 from NISER Bhubaneswar campus with support from Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, and Department of Atomic Energy.

(IANS)