Mumbai's 24 Cancer Navigators to Guide Patients Through Treatment Journey

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will deploy 24 Cancer Patient Navigators across its 24 administrative wards. The move aims to ensure cancer patients do not abandon their treatment. Each navigator will guide individuals diagnosed through BMC’s cancer screening programme. The 24 professionals were already part of the city’s cancer screening efforts. Dr Daksha Shah, Executive Health Officer of BMC, confirmed they had received specialised training for their new roles. Their training came through Tata Memorial Centre’s Patient Navigation in Oncology Care Programme, a joint initiative with ECHO India under the Cancer Care Bharat project.

The navigators will assist patients from diagnosis onwards. They will help them access treatment, secure referrals, receive counselling, and attend follow-up care. Their role includes ensuring patients feel supported and connected to the right specialists. Dr R.A. Badwe emphasised that patients and medical teams both trust these navigators, seeing them as a bridge between families and healthcare providers.

Dr Sudeep Gupta, Director of Tata Memorial Centre, noted the growing need for such support. India’s ageing population and rising cancer cases demand new approaches to healthcare delivery, he said. The programme combines the ECHO model with dedicated Patient Navigators to improve cancer treatment access. It seeks to promote healthier ageing and fair healthcare for all citizens. The initiative will operate across every BMC ward to support patients at every stage of their care.