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In a significant health finding from Maharashtra, 24 female patients at Pune’s Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) have been diagnosed with cancer—22 with oral cancer and two with cervical cancer.
According to officials, all 24 patients have been transferred to Aundh District Hospital (ADH) for further treatment and care.
How It Came to Light
Launching a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) administration decided to begin weekly non-communicable disease (NCD) screenings for all inpatients. The facility houses a total of 1,057 patients—740 men and 317 women.
Last month, 281 female patients were screened under this program, revealing 24 cancer cases among them.
The diagnosis has also highlighted the need to address physical health concerns in mental healthcare institutions, where such issues often go undetected for years.
Why Screening Is Important
Healthcare experts believe mental and physical health go hand in hand. For a long time, mental health facilities have primarily focused on psychiatric care, often overlooking physical ailments. However, experts have highlighted that individuals with mental illness face an increased risk of developing chronic diseases.
In response, RMH has taken a step toward holistic care by initiating these regular screenings.
This initiative will help identify and treat NCDs such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancers early in these patients who are often at higher risk due to a lack of awareness and limited access to general healthcare services. Patients with diabetes and hypertension are provided treatment at the RMH.
Dr. Srinivas Kolod, Medical Superintendent at RMH
How They Are Conducting It
RMH has partnered with doctors from Dr. DY Patil Medical College, along with two private doctors, Dr. Swapnil Dabharde and Dr. Sakshi Jesani, who are volunteering their services free of cost.
Because of the patient load and limited resources, screenings are currently held once a week. Male patients are expected to be screened starting next week.
Dr. Srinivas Kolod, Medical Superintendent at RMH, told The Hindustan Times,
“Through regular screenings, we can detect and treat diseases early, improving the quality of life for our patients. Due to the large number of patients and private doctors providing the services free of cost, screening cannot be conducted daily. We have decided to conduct the screening tests once a week at the RMH.”
Why It Matters
This initiative by RMH can help detect non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and cancer early among patients with mental illness, who often face a higher risk due to a lack of awareness. It can enable timely treatment and improve their quality of life—a significant step toward holistic care for such patients.
(Rh/Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)
