GUWAHATI, April 24: In a significant development in Oncology education in the North Eastern Region, the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has given permission to Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati to start super specialty DM in Medical Oncology course from the academic session 2017-18, a press release said.
It may also be stated that the Medical Council of India has already given permission to start MD in Radiation Oncology and M.Ch in Surgical Oncology at Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute. With DM in Medical Oncology, BBCI now can boast of conducting postgraduate and super specialty courses in all disciplines of Oncology - Radiotherapy, Surgical Oncology & Medical Oncology for the first time in the North Eastern Region. At present, DM in Medical Oncology is offered in 19 institutions in the state of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujrat, Kartaka, Tamil du and Kerala. DM in Medical Oncology course is currently not available in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and State of Odisha. Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute also conducts M.Sc course in Medical Physics, Ph.D in Biological Sciences and postgraduate fellowship programme in Head & Neck Oncology, Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Gyecologic Oncology and Onco-Pathology in collaboration with Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.
Dr A C Kataki, Director of BBCI stated that there is acute shortage of oncologists in India and North East in particular. He hopes that over a period of time the manpower shortage in oncology can be overcome as many cancer centres are coming up in the North Eastern Region. BBCI will work for capacity development in oncology for which Power Grid Corporation of India Limited has already started construction of 'Capacity Development Centre in Oncology' at BBCI with grants-in-aid of Rs.3.98 crore under SCR scheme. Dr. Kataki complemented Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of Health & Family Welfare Department, Assam for providing all the support to BBCI to start various academic courses in Oncology. He also acknowledged the support of Dr. K. S. Sharma, Academic Director of Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai for continuous encouragement to start these courses. DoNER Minister of India Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of BBCI, laid emphasis on capacity development in Oncology and to develop the Institute as Centre of Excellence for cancer treatment, education and research. Director, BBCI congratulated all the faculties and the staffs of the Institute for this remarkable achievement.