Braving Uncertainty in the Quest for a Cure: Cancer Care Access During the COVID-19 National Lockdown

This paper examines cancer care access during the nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 in two states of India’s northeast. A semi-structured interview was conducted by purposive sampling of fifteen participants with cancers of the oral, lungs, stomach, breast and cervix, six key informant oncologists and four Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) facilitating cancer services. Ethical clearances were received from the study institutes. The data was coded and transcribed verbatim on emerging themes. The emerging themes were treatment delay, financial constraint, alternative medicine and bridging gaps by NGOs. Whereas, if financial status hampered access, harassment on availing care was encountered with choosing herbal medication in fear of chemotherapy, surgery and testimonials of relatives. However, support through NGO collaborations enhanced care efficiency for the health systems and cancer patients alike during the challenging times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons learnt during the COVID-19 pandemic extend beyond the functioning of a robust health system. Collaboration via sectors became pronounced during this uncertainty, thus, emerging resource pooling and zeal to take charge of one’s health. Cancer institutes could magnify these lessons on strengthening health systems for combating unforeseen pandemics. Keywords: cancer, COVID-19, India