The purpose of this partnership is to increase awareness about cancer and promote the identification of cancer at an early stage to facilitate access to appropriate specialist expertise for patients living with complex or difficult (to diagnose) cancers throughout India and the African continent.
This announcement comes at a critical time as cancer is quickly becoming one of the greatest healthcare challenges facing countries. The number of people diagnosed with cancer is expected to continue to grow dramatically over the next several decades.
Awareness about cancer is increasing, but patients are still experiencing many barriers, such as delays in diagnosis; limited ability to access surgical specialists trained in treating and caring for patients with cancer; no multidisciplinary approach to treating and caring for patients with cancer; and uncertainty about where to get reliable second opinions.
As part of the partnership, Rhodes will engage in various activities related to raising awareness and educating patients about cancer and providing other types of support to patients with cancer, including digital outreach activities, media activities, and community-based activities to promote early identification of cancer and provide patients with accurate and timely information about treatment options.
This partnership is very different from traditional celebrity endorsements. The focus of this merger will be the impact on patients and helping to create stronger healthcare collaborations between India and international patient communities.
SSO Cancer Hospitals has developed a strong reputation as an organ-specific cancer network that connects highly skilled surgical organ-specific oncologists with complex cancer specialties. The network is focused on providing advanced cancer surgical treatment, multidisciplinary treatment planning, and access to specialized cancer treatment.
Speaking on this collaboration, Jonty Rhodes said: “Cancer has a debilitating effect not only on the individual patient but also on the whole family. One of the greatest hurdles many individuals face is trying to determine from where and when to get the right assistance they require. What attracted me to SSO Cancer Hospitals was their dedication to providing specialist care and education to patients. This partnership will facilitate more discussions concerning cancer, assist with early detection, and aid individuals in making informed decisions. If just one family’s awareness leads them to take action sooner than they would, it could have a tremendous impact.”
In terms of clinical care, this collaboration will address one of the major deficiencies in cancer care worldwide: the lack of access to organ-specific expertise for patients.
Dr. Sanket Mehta, Surgical Oncologist and Founder, SSO Cancer Hospitals, commented: “In the past decade, there has been an enormous shift in treatment for cancers. Currently, a significant number of cancer types require highly trained surgeons who are focused on specific organ systems and who are also working with a multidisciplinary team. Unfortunately, due to a lack of access to the right channel, to being treated by the appropriate specialist, especially for patients with complicated cancers associated with the pancreas, liver, oesophagus, thorax, or advanced gastrointestinal cancers. These delays can adversely affect how a patient responds to treatment. This initiative seeks to increase awareness and increase the ability of patients to obtain specialist care.”
This initiative supports SSO’s mission of expanding access to quality cancer care. It provides support to patients as they look for expert cancer care and receive advanced surgical treatments.
Further commenting on this partnership, Rahul Singh, Chief Business Officer, SSO Cancer Hospitals, said: “Access to healthcare, including cancer treatment, is a critical issue in cancer care across India and Africa. Many want to receive appropriate treatment yet don’t necessarily know how to locate the right type of services or whether there would be any type of expectation to pay for it. The focus of this partnership is to help eliminate the gap between those who would like to receive treatment and those who provide the necessary cancer care by developing trusted pathways that connect patients and families with specialist teams of cancer service providers, ensuring that patients receive high-quality, affordable cancer treatment. We believe that there is no geographical limit when talking about services provided by experts, and we are committed to providing expert care and support everywhere by using an awareness/education/and access to services model.”
Over the next year, SSO Cancer Hospital plans to implement multiple cancer awareness campaigns, develop various educational campaigns, share survivor stories, engage with patients, establish community outreach programs, conduct media interviews, and develop digital awareness campaigns focused on improving cancer literacy and motivating patients to seek treatment earlier.
Bringing a well-respected South African athlete together with an oncology dedicated only to cancer network, this partnership wants to create a lasting impact at the point of need to help patients access the right care at the right time.
About SSO Cancer Hospitals
SSO Cancer Hospitals is a leading chain of cancer hospitals focused exclusively on organ-specific cancer care. The network brings together highly specialized surgical oncologists across breast, gastrointestinal, thoracic, gynecological, urological, head and neck, and other cancer specialties. Through multidisciplinary treatment planning, advanced surgical expertise, and a patient-centric approach, SSO is committed to improving cancer outcomes and making specialist cancer care more accessible across India and internationally.
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