The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : District hospitals to stock oral morphine

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Thursday, Aug 05, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

District hospitals to stock oral morphine

Staff Reporter

Bangalore: The State Government, in coordination with the Drugs Control Department, will ensure that oral morphine, used to alleviate pain in cancer patients, is made available in district and taluk hospitals, Principal Secretary (Health) E.V. Ramana Reddy said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the anniversary programme of the day care centre for cancer patients organised by the Department of Palliative Medicine in the Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Mr. Reddy said he would soon discuss the matter with the Drugs Controller of Karnataka and the departments concerned.

Doctors from district hospitals could be trained at the Kidwai hospital on how to dispense the drug, he said.

Professor and Head of the Department of Palliative Medicine K.B. Lingegowda said Kidwai was the first institute in the country to start using oral morphine for cancer pain in 1988. “This drug is made available free of cost to patients only in Kidwai. Patients from across the State and Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu come to our institute for this drug. It will be helpful if the drug is made available in district and taluk hospitals, and the Secretary has given us an assurance,” he said. Volunteers and donors involved in the programmes of the Day Care centre were felicitated.

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