Gorakhpur Emerges as a Model for Decentralized Pediatric Cancer Care

Gorakhpur, November 13 (Daily Kiran) : Gorakhpur, a city in Uttar Pradesh and the constituency of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, is becoming a model for decentralized pediatric cancer treatment. The state government, along with various stakeholders, is enhancing regional treatment centers, shared care networks, and financial security for families.

A recent study highlighted that children often travel long distances to access specialized treatment centers. This underscores the need for improved cancer care services beyond major metropolitan areas. Published in the *Journal of Cancer Policy* in September 2026, the study analyzed data from 22,328 children receiving treatment at three prominent cancer centers in Delhi and Chennai. It found that the average travel time to treatment is 161 minutes, with nearly three-quarters of children traveling over an hour.

In response, Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College in Gorakhpur has launched a dedicated pediatric oncology service. This facility offers comprehensive cancer care, including chemotherapy and support for patients’ families. According to a government official, this initiative exemplifies how government medical colleges can strengthen regional treatment centers.

Dr. Kuldeep Singh, an assistant professor in the Pediatrics department, noted that over 100 children with cancer have been treated at this center since 2023. The 30-bed pediatric oncology ward serves families from nearby districts, as well as from Bihar and Nepal.

As India prepares to celebrate Children’s Day on November 14, the study’s findings remind us of the significant impact that access to treatment facilities can have on a child’s cancer journey. The enhancement of services at BRD Medical College is part of “Project Sudhar,” an initiative aimed at increasing pediatric cancer treatment capacity that began in Gorakhpur in 2022. Additionally, a memorandum of understanding was signed in May 2023 between the organization CanKids and the Uttar Pradesh government’s National Health Mission.

For families in northeastern Uttar Pradesh, this means they no longer need to travel to distant cities like Delhi or Mumbai for treatment, as they can receive quality care closer to home.

An official pointed out that Uttar Pradesh, which sees approximately 14,700 new cancer cases among children and adolescents each year, is a priority state for policymakers. The state is adopting an integrated approach to controlling childhood cancer, based on a model of four proposed “Childhood Cancer District Divisions.”

This strategy aims to empower government medical colleges and large hospitals as regional treatment centers, connecting them through a well-organized “hub-and-spoke” network with district hospitals and community health services.

For families affected by childhood cancer, traveling for treatment entails more than just transportation costs. Expenses for accommodation, food, lost income due to missed work, disruptions in children’s education, and separation from family support systems can create significant burdens.

In 2016, when Sheela and Pramod Giri’s daughter Anshika was diagnosed with blood cancer, they had to travel to AIIMS in Delhi for treatment. They made over 20 trips, which severely impacted their livelihood. Anshika has since completed her treatment, and her parents now work as care coordinators in Gorakhpur, helping other families facing similar challenges.

In another case, a family from Siwan, Bihar, traveled to AIIMS in Delhi for their daughter’s surgery. Thanks to coordinated care and support, her subsequent chemotherapy could be conducted at BRD Medical College, allowing her father to return to work while treatment continued nearby.

These examples highlight the importance of coordinated referral systems and shared care arrangements between specialized institutions and regional hospitals.

Poonam Bagai, a member of ICMR’s Central Ethics Committee on Human Research, founder of CanKids, and representative of Childhood Cancer International for the WHO Southeast Asia region, stated that Uttar Pradesh serves as a demonstration model showing how continuous partnerships with the government and stakeholders can lead to successful outcomes.

She emphasized that simply improving geographical access to treatment is not enough. Alongside bringing care closer to home, financial security must also be addressed.

India’s 2030 health goals include achieving 100% access to health services, 100% financial security, and a minimum survival rate of 60%. These goals align with the UNGA80 appeal, the WHO’s global initiative for childhood cancer, and the concept of Universal Health Coverage.

Bagai noted that this model focuses on better mapping of treatment facilities, patient registration, referral tracking, monitoring of financial security, and measuring outcomes to enable further expansion of the initiative in the future.