- The objective is to promote coping skills and emotional support for patients, their families and the professionals who care for them.
- The support will be offered in the 35 ONCOCREAN that IMSS has throughout the country.
- The efficacy of individual and group psychological interventions has been proven to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of stress during its treatment.
Over the last few months there has been a strong controversy regarding the children with cancer and the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS). Everything lies in the complaints filed by parents about the shortage of medicines. The problem has not yet been completely solved but the promise remains to offer the best possible support to patients.
As an example of the above, it has now been announced that psycho-emotional and thanatological care will be provided to minors with cancer and their families when they first arrive for treatment in one of the 35 State Reference Centers for the Care of Children with Cancer (ONCOCREAN).
What will it work for?
During the eighty-sixth meeting of the working group, Dr. Enrique López Aguilar, head of the Oncology Care Coordination, pointed out that the objective is to promote coping skills and emotional support for patients, their families and professionals who care for them.
He explained that the above will be developed through therapeutic adherence, adaptation to the disease, social support, control of mental and physical symptoms such as vomiting and pain, and permanent monitoring.
He said that during the third and fourth quarters of 2022, Social Workers will be continuously trained. Also to the staff of the IMSS Volunteers on the management of psycho-emotional and thanatological support.
López Aguilar stressed that the IMSS promotes areas that promote the quality of life of the patient and their relatives during the different phases of the disease. The purpose is to reduce the experience of suffering and facilitate the care work of health personnel.
Phases that children with cancer go through in the IMSS
He explained that Social Security will provide support to pediatric cancer patients through various strategies, according to each of the six phases of the disease:
- Diagnosis.
- Treatment.
- Relapse.
- Special procedures such as surgery.
- Bone marrow transplant or immunotherapy.
- End of life and survival.
The Oncology Care coordinator stressed that he will be supported from a medical and psychological point of view. Patients will be given psycho-emotional and thanatological support at all times when required.
He commented that this project is essential to try to change the ideas of these girls and boys so that they spend the time that the oncological treatment lasts in the best possible way, without forgetting that they go through a difficult process.
Dr. Enrique López explained that cancer is associated with an experience of suffering and vulnerability. This entails a high level of stress and can affect not only the quality of life but also the survival of the patient.
In this sense, he said that the IMSS works to provide a comprehensive response to the biopsychosocial needs of pediatric cancer patients. Because the efficacy of individual and group psychological interventions has been proven to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of stress during its treatment.
He indicated that the IMSS has strategies that reinforce the accompaniment of minors with cancer, such as El Collar: Token Economy, El Hada y Mago: Anchoring Theory, La Pajama with a sense of belonging and since the end of 2021 the Directorate of Medical Benefits of the IMSS, headed by Dr. Célida Duque Molina, instructed to implement the “You Are Magic” program.
Other support for children with cancer in the IMSS
On the other hand, Isaac Mejía Montes de Oca, head of the Division of Digital Services and Information for Digital Health Care, reported the incorporation of 88 people to the registration platform for patients and cancer treatments. To reach a total of 8,905, of which 40 percent are pediatric and 60 adults, who are treated in 62 IMSS hospitals, 15 High Specialty Medical Units (UMAE) and 47 Second Level.
During the 86th work meeting, it was agreed to follow up on various cases, the supply of L-asparaginase in the Hospital General Regional (HGR) No. 1 of Sinaloa, the possibility of inviting and participating an expert thanatologist in In a later session, Dr. Guillermo Careaga Reyna, director of the CMN La Raza General Hospital, will hold a meeting with one of the mothers of a pediatric oncology patient to clarify doubts and concerns, and the report for laboratory appointments at CMN La Raza will be addressed. Race.