Project Summary:

Dhaka Ahsania Mission  (DAM) Profile: 

Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) was founded in the year 1958 by Hazrat Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah(r), an eminent educationist, social reformer and spiritual leader of this sub-continent, with a motto of ‘Divine and Humanitarian Service’. Although initially DAM started working as a philanthropic organization, it is now one of the leading Non-Government Development Organizations in Bangladesh. In the mid-70s, there was a fundamental shift in the functioning approach of DAM – it moved from the welfare approach the development approach with primary focus in human development through education and other interventions as needed. Since then, DAM gradually diversified its development interventions striving to build its programmes in the four major sectors: education, healthcare, livelihood, and human rights & social justice.

DAM is registered with:

• Department of Social Welfare,   Government    of Bangladesh – No.316 of  1963
• NGO Affairs Bureau – No. 246  dated    09-12-1987
• Societies Registration Act 1860 -  No. S5682(799)/2006

DAM has also Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC  and UNESCO and Associate Status with UNDPI.

Detailed Project Proposal:

Background/Justification:

Cancer is a fast spreading killer disease across the world. The incidence of Cancer is also rapidly increasing in Bangladesh and it has become a matter of serious concern in the country.  According to available data about the incidence of cancer in Bangladesh, which was based on a study on cancer with the support of WHO, there are  over 1,000,000 cancer patients and about 200,000 new cases are being added every year. Of these more that 150,000 die annually, many of them even without any treatment whatsoever.

According to WHO,  the incidence of cancer in the developing countries would be doubled in the course of next five years, if preventive and control measures are not taken. It is estimated that 1 out of 5 males and 1 out of 4 females may become a victim of cancer in a short time.

Unfortunately, facilities for treatment of cancer in the country are miserably limited. The only public sector Cancer Institute & Hospital in Dhaka together with a number of big general hospitals and private clinics having some provision of treatment of cancer can serve a maximum of 20 to 25 thousand cancer patients in a year. Although a small number of the well to do people can afford to go to foreign countries for treatment, most of the poor patients are to die after tremendous amount of suffering and pain.  

Against the above backdrop Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), a voluntary development organization mandated to humanitarian services, took up the initiative for establishment of a 500 bed Cancer Hospital in Bangladesh with the capability  of offering cancer treatment and other health services of well recognized standard.  The construction work of the hospital  having the design of a 15  storied building with 450,000 sft floor spaces,  started in 2005 and the hospital, in the name of Ahsania Mission Cancer & General Hospital (AMCGH),  has started functioning partially from April 2014 with Out Patient Department (OPD), In-patient beds, Operation Theaters, Radiation Therapy Unit, Day Care Centre and Diagnostic Facilities. The AMCGH will be fully operational with its full capacity of 500 beds by June 2017.   DAM, as a non-profit development organization, will run the hospital on a 'no-profit no-loss' basis.  
The AMCGH has also some other components in its overall activities, which include:

• Cancer Detection Centres
• Primary Prevention, Public Awareness and Education
• Home Care Service
• Mobile Cancer Detection Team
• Ahsania Mission Breast Cancer Support Service

Under the Cancer Detection Centres component, DAM has been planning to establish seven Cancer Detection & Treatment Centres at the seven divisional headquarters of Bangladesh and one such centres has already been established in Dhaka division at Mirpur Section 14 of Dhaka city.

Over all Objectives: 

 
The proposed project is aimed at establishing six more Cancer Detection & Treatment Centres in the remaining six divisional headquarters with required infrastructure and medical equipment & furniture having provision for 50 in-patient beds. This initiative will help bringing the cancer detection & treatment facilities more closer to suffering people. Patients detected with cancer will initially be treated at  those Detection & Treatment Centres and the patients who need more intensive treatment will be referred to AMCGH at Uttara, Dhaka.

Specific objectives: In order to achieve a high level of excellence in diagnosis and treatment of cancer as well as creation of awareness against cancer the following specific objective will be pursued:

• Complete the remaining facilities of the AMCGH so as to make it fully operational.
• Construct six 50 bed specialized cancer detection & treatment centers at six divisional headquarters of Bangladesh.
• Provide indoor and outdoor diagnostic and treatment facilities to all patients with cancer irrespective of caste and creed and financial ability;
• Provide Home Care Services including services to the terminally ill   patients;
• Run Mobile Cancer Diagnostic Service;
• Develop Breast Cancer Support Service;
• Educate people about cancer and hold seminars/conferences and publish & distribute booklets, leaflets, posters etc. on cancer awareness. 
• Foster cooperation and linkage with national, regional and international institutions/hospitals engaged in the diagnosis, treatment, training and research on cancer.

Expected beneficiaries:
Once the Cancer Detection & Treatment Centres become operational, it is projected to provide health care services to 20,000 inpatients and cater to over 400,000 outpatients annually from each centre.
The project envisages developing Multi-Modality Cancer Detection & Treatment Centre of Excellence. The specific services and resources that would be incorporated include:

• Diagnostic services including Tumour Markers, a mix of Imaging technologies including Mammography with Stereotactic Breast Biopsy, Spiral Computerized Tomography, Colour Doppler, Radiographic and Fluoroscopic System, Endoscopy, Colonoscopy, Bronchoscope etc. 
• Therapeutic Services including Surgery, Day Care for the provision of Chemotherapy, Megavoltage Radiotherapy with a Treatment Planning Simulator and Computerized Treatment Planning System and Brach therapy.
• Surgical Oncology focusing on Oral Surgery, Gynaecology, Thoracic Surgery, Plastic and reconstructive Surgery.
• Support Services including, Pain Management, Clinical Dietician,    Hospice/Hope Care, Prosthesis, Ecumenical Pastoral Counselling and Cancer Support Groups.

Project sustainability:
The AMCGH and Cancer Detection & Treatment Centres  will charge from the well to do people for the medical services so as run the same at no-loss-no-profit basis. Provisions will be made to serve the poor cancer patients free of cost, which is estimated to be at least 30% of the total patients. 

Cost of the Project    :
The total cost of establishing one Cancer Detection & Treatment Centre is estimated to be Bangladesh Taka 1,500.00 million (US$ 19.25 million) with tentative breakup as follows:

Cost of six Cancer Detection Centres: Taka 12,000.00 million (US$ 153.90 million)
Cost of one Cancer Detection Centre: Taka  2,000.00 million (US$ 25.65 million)