Our Operating Model
To overcome the challenges of childhood cancer in a vast country like India with scarce resources, CanKids uses the principle of YANA (You Are Not Alone) to drive Access2Care. The two building blocks of YANA are:
- CanKids Hospital Support Units (CHSU)
Enabling the best treatment, care, and support to children with cancer and their families who reach a cancer treating center.
We operate 124 CHSUs across India. - Change for Childhood Cancer
Guided children and families treating centers for earliest possible detection, diagnosis, and treatment through shared care.
Our project operates in 15 states and Union Territories.
- 9 Home Away From Homes
Low-cost accommodation near cancer care centres for children and their families for the duration of treatment. - 2 Canshalas
A school-at-the-hospital to ensure continued education. - 1 Pediatric Palliative Care Center
India's first and only 10-bedded, 24-hour centre providing day-care, and both IPD and OPD services, called Subhita and located in New Delhi.
CanKids Hospital Support Units (CHSU)
CanKids' YANA approach involves forming strategic partnerships with hospitals in India treating children with cancer. Through the partnership, Cankids provides a support unit (CHSU) covering 10 program areas and 25 core services in each hospital. Each CHSU has a CanKids Social Support Team, a cadre of trained people for pediatric oncology support services, including social workers, data managers, dietitians, teachers, psychologists, volunteers, patient navigators, and care coordinators (parents and survivors). The team composition is customised as per the needs of the centre. We also provide dedicated doctors, nurses, and research coordinators as required.
Change For Childhood Cancer State Projects (CCC Projects)
Through our Change for Childhood Cancer Projects, we partner with state governments and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that children with cancer are detected and diagnosed at the earliest, appropriately referred to the right cancer centers, and managed through shared care models of treatment, care and, support.
These projects currently operate in Delhi/NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, West Bengal, North Eastern states, and Tamil Nadu. We also have signed MoUs with the governments of Punjab, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat
These projects currently operate in Delhi/NCR, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, West Bengal, North Eastern states, and Tamil Nadu. We also have signed MoUs with the governments of Punjab, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat
Canshala - A School For Children With Cancer
CanKids' Canshala, the first-of-its-kind in India, is based on a 'school in the hospital' concept, and was started in November 2012, serving children undergoing cancer treatment at the Tata Memorial Hospital, Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, and other cancer centres in Mumbai. Canshala is a Public-Private Partnership between CanKids and the Municipal Corporation Of Mumbai.
Our first CanShala is an integral part of the Jagannath Bhatankar Municipal School Parel, Mumbai. It is housed in four rooms – which include two class rooms, one health and therapy room, and one Principal’s/staff room and computer center (and CanKids’ Regional office), and shares the playground, auditorium, and other facilities of the school.
The child attends the school when able. Learning is appropriate to health and attendance is not compulsory.
Base line testing and educational and social evaluation is done to develop an Individualised Education Program (IEP).
CanKids has also begun a school bus service to pick up children from various hospitals/dharamshalas, bring them to school, and later drop them back.
An outcomes-based curriculum is in place for children in Class 1 to 7, with all the younger children in one classroom and older children in the other.
A regular timetable is followed from 10.30am to 2.30pm with prayer, breakfast, lunch, health and hygiene checkup, two learning sessions, and one activity session.
Our first CanShala is an integral part of the Jagannath Bhatankar Municipal School Parel, Mumbai. It is housed in four rooms – which include two class rooms, one health and therapy room, and one Principal’s/staff room and computer center (and CanKids’ Regional office), and shares the playground, auditorium, and other facilities of the school.
The child attends the school when able. Learning is appropriate to health and attendance is not compulsory.
Base line testing and educational and social evaluation is done to develop an Individualised Education Program (IEP).
CanKids has also begun a school bus service to pick up children from various hospitals/dharamshalas, bring them to school, and later drop them back.
An outcomes-based curriculum is in place for children in Class 1 to 7, with all the younger children in one classroom and older children in the other.
A regular timetable is followed from 10.30am to 2.30pm with prayer, breakfast, lunch, health and hygiene checkup, two learning sessions, and one activity session.
Home Away from Home
A bridge between hospital and home, Cankids' the Home Away From Home (HAH) is designed to be a low cost model with minimum investment and running and maintenance costs. It integrates the issue and challenges of accommodation into treatment, care, and support systems at adjoining cancer centers. It involves parent and community participation, empowering the Parent Support Group to set up, manage, and run the home and provide them with employment opportunities.
Families are provided with a kitchen kit, a room kit, and a school kit for the children. The Parent Support Group sets a low daily rate for the families to pay, and a waiver mechanism exists for families unable to pay. They are encouraged to prepare home-cooked meals for their children, but there are also celebration meals. Ration is provided, raised through local donations. There are school activities in the multi-functional areas for entertainment, parent forums, celebrations, and therapeutic activities.
Families are provided with a kitchen kit, a room kit, and a school kit for the children. The Parent Support Group sets a low daily rate for the families to pay, and a waiver mechanism exists for families unable to pay. They are encouraged to prepare home-cooked meals for their children, but there are also celebration meals. Ration is provided, raised through local donations. There are school activities in the multi-functional areas for entertainment, parent forums, celebrations, and therapeutic activities.
Subhita - India's First Pediatric Palliative Care Center
Our Pediatric Palliative Care Center (PPCC) Subhita is a holistic model to provide comprehensive palliative and supportive care for children with cancer. Opened in June 2012 with the distinction of being India's first pediatric day care center, Subhita is a 24-hour, 10-bedded, one-stop multidisciplinary IPD and OPD service which provide the palliative care support right from the moment of diagnosis through treatment and after:
Children come in when:
In the last instance, we also support the child to return home if they wish, however our center is fully equipped to provide care for the child even in their last moments.
Located in Gautam Nagar, New Delhi, Subhita currently has
More details about Subhita including our admission policies and support offered can be found here.
Children come in when:
- They face pain and the diagnosis or treatment is yet to start
- Symptoms are uncontrolled, presenting as fatigue, breathlessness, difficulty in swallowing, ulcers, loss of appetite, depression and grief, etc.
- They need psychological counseling at all stages of cancer
- Treating doctor say there is no further treatment possible
In the last instance, we also support the child to return home if they wish, however our center is fully equipped to provide care for the child even in their last moments.
Located in Gautam Nagar, New Delhi, Subhita currently has
- Two floors with 10 cubicles
- Inpatient care, outpatient care, day care, and an emergency bed
- Palliative medical support facilities
- Pain management and symptom relief
- Physiotherapy clinic
- Recreation and complementary therapy room
- Psychological counseling
- Learning Activity Clinic
- Training center
More details about Subhita including our admission policies and support offered can be found here.
Project Suddridh
Health System Strengthening and Access2Care
One Cancer At a Time (OCAT)
CanKids is committed to Health System Strengthening (HSS) and Access2Care thereby driving better Survival rates and improved outcomes for children with cancer and families. Suddridh project aims is to strengthen pediatric oncology services at a treating center by increasing access to quality and standard treatment and ensuring the minimal requirements for delivery of optimal care with the help of pediatric oncology expert/ advisors and or higher treating centers.
Aim and objectives of Project Suddridh
Focused Disease-specific childhood cancer projects
Disease-specific childhood cancer projects including:
Paediatric Oncology Nursing Program
Pediatric Palliative Care Service
Outreach Clinics
- Manpower and capacity building for dedicated pediatric oncology Nurses to improve the standard of care
- Establishing a comprehensive pediatric palliative care service pan India for CanKids with Subhita center in Delhi as the flagship
- Pediatric oncology outreach services -for new centers, centers with no pediatric oncologists - through twinning, Virtual Tumor Board s for ongoing capacity building and system strengthening
Disease-specific childhood cancer projects including:
- Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)
- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma & Relapsed HL (HL & RHL)
- Bone and Soft tissue sarcoma (BSTS)
- Retinoblastoma (RB) INPOG Study closure and planning for next study.
- Acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APML)
Paediatric Oncology Nursing Program
- Development of Nursing Curriculum and distribution of pocket hand book during PHOCON
- On-line teaching sessions for the Nurses as part of our capacity building initiative.
- Collaboration with SJG for nurses program.
Pediatric Palliative Care Service
- Virtual OPD three days a week to provide access of palliative care to Patients PAN India except Delhi NCR region.
- Physical OPD three days a week for Palliative care patient of Delhi NCR region.
Outreach Clinics
- Pediatric oncology outreach services -for new centers, centers with no pediatric oncologists - through twinning, Virtual Tumor Boards for ongoing capacity building and system strengthening
- We have started outreach clinics for various centers like MCS Patna, CCHRC Silchar, AIIMS Jodhpur, ACC Bhatinda, CHRC Gwalior, Shroff Hospital Delhi, IGIMS Patna and Kamla Nehru Hospital Allahabad.
- To increase the number from 8 to 12 by 2022.
- Identify right partners to collaborate for funding POOC development, faculty.
Interventions under the project
The interventions for all projects include :
- Research and collaboration.
- Service delivery and patient support
- Patient education
- Awareness and Advocacy.
Provisions under the project
As in all HSS the goal is to address :
- Service Delivery
- Health Workforce
- Health Information System
- Access to essential Medicine
- Financing
- Leadership and Governance