Challenges Faced by Cancer Patients in Receiving Health Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Rajasthan.

Background: Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, cancer patients may have faced difficulty accessing health care. This study explored the challenges experienced by cancer patients in availing of healthcare during the pandemic, as well as the vaccination status and prevalence of COVID-19 infection among cancer patients in the year 2021.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, to interview 150 patients from the oncology department using convenience sampling. Face-to-face interviews lasted for 20-30 minutes. The first segment of the pretested semi-structured questionnaire was directed at obtaining the patient's socio-demographic characteristics, while the second segment focused on the problems that patients encountered during the pandemic in receiving cancer care. The data were analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY).

Results: Several constraints, such as a lack of transportation services, difficulty in availing outpatient department (OPD) and teleconsultation services, long waiting times, and deferred surgeries and therapies, have hampered cancer care. COVID-19 mitigation measures further imposed additional stress and financial burden on cancer patients. Moreover, there was low vaccination coverage among cancer patients, which increases their probability of acquiring an infection.

Conclusion: Policy reforms must prioritize cancer care in India to maintain a continuum of care by ensuring medication, teleconsultation, uninterrupted treatment, and complete vaccination to decrease the risk of COVID-19 infection and facilitate patient compliance with the healthcare delivery system.