Chairman of the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI) Prof. Dr. Aru Wisaksono Sudoyo, Sp. PD -KHOM, FACP has highlighted the importance of ensuring patients’ safety because cancer treatment does not only relies on drugs.   “Patient safety is an important goal. Our steps in providing education and treatment are based on the principle that patients are safe,” Sudoyo said in a virtual media briefing “Orchestration of Cancer Treatment in Indonesia”, here Thursday.

Furthermore, cancer patients have four rights, as proclaimed by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), authorized by the World Health Organization (WHO), he explained.

The first right, he pointed out, is the improvement of cancer data accuracy for public health needs. Secondly, ease of access to early detection and diagnosis, so life expectancy is better, he added.

Thirdly, treatment has to be timely, accurate, efficient, and effective in cost. The fourth includes palliative and supportive care to improve the patient’s life quality, Sudoyo added.

“These are the four pillars of UICC that the YKI holds. This should be the foundation for all because, in the end, it all leads to what we call patient safety,” Sudoyo affirmed.

Currently, cancer is one of the diseases that is not contagious but has a significant burden on health worldwide, including Indonesia, in terms of screening, financing, therapy cost, and rehabilitation, as cancer treatment requires considerable funds, he added.

The concept of standardized cancer services that are cost-effective follows the principle of patient safety, and the implementation of which needs to be supported by policies from all stakeholders, according to him.

Earlier, on October 23, 2021, YKI had held the national discussion, “Strategic Policy Towards Quality Cancer Services”. Some 350 health professionals, organizations, support groups, and hospitals attended the event.

The subjects in the discussion included patient safety, service equality, equity principles (all patients get optimal therapy), and system standardization and evaluation.

Source: Antara News