CANCER CARE GRID
Groundwork laid to care for 80,000 cancer patients annually in the State, says Health Minister
BY OUR STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI, Oct 21: In what can be termed as a major boost to cancer care in Assam, Tata Trusts has decided to invest Rs 540 crore to set up a 3-level cancer care grid and a South East Asian Cancer Research Centre in the State.
State Health & Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told newspersons here on Saturday that Rs 540 crore will be an initial investment, and Tata Trusts will invest more if the State can satisfy it by creating quality infrastructure and facilities in the first phase of implementing the ambitious cancer care project. With the initial investment of Rs 540 crore, the State government will set up exclusive 50-bedded cancer hospitals in the existing six medical colleges in the State.
“Creation of cancer hospitals in six medical colleges in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Silchar, Jorhat, Tezpur and Barpeta will be part of the proposed three-level cancer care grid in the State. The proposed cancer hospitals will be equipped to treat patients with facilities such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgical oncology and medication required to deal with complicated cancer cases. Once the cancer care grid is in place, L1 or a State-level cancer care institute in Guwahati will have advanced tertiary care facilities, L2 or medical colleges in the State will have facilities for chemotherapy, radiation and surgical oncology, and L3 or district hospitals will have day-care, chemotherapy and radiation facilities,” the Minister said.
Sarma, who recently met Tata Trusts chairman Ratan Tata and other members in Mumbai, said the Assam Government and Tata Trusts have agreed to work on this “first-of-its-kind” 3-level cancer care grid which will draw an investment of about Rs 1,400 crore. The investment is proposed to be shared between the State government and Tata Trusts.
“I was extremely delighted to have met the legendary Ratan Tata and members of Tata Trusts for what may become a rare philanthropic body-government collaboration on cancer care and magement. Tata Trust’s initial investment of Rs 540 crore will be the biggest ever investment in the field of healthcare in the State, and that too for treatment of a single disease,” he said.
While Assam registers 30,000 new cancer cases every year, there is requirement to provide cancer care to 80,000 patients annually, the Health Minister pointed out. The State government has been uble to shoulder this burden due to idequate infrastructure and facilities, he said, adding that the State has at present only 5 linear accelerator machines against the requirement of 60 such machines, and only two 200-bedded cancer hospitals (at GMCH & B. Barooah Cancer Institute) against requirement of 5 such hospitals, besides the need for increasing the number of beds.
“Once we are able to create a three-level cancer care grid and a South East Asian Cancer Research Centre, the State will be able to provide the best of cancer care to 80,000 patients annually. Besides funds, Tata Trusts which runs the best cancer care hospitals in India, has assured the State government to provide all kinds of other logistic and technical support including advanced training to doctors, nurses and para-medical staff to ensure quality cancer care in the State. Tata Trusts will make cancer care investment in the State with ‘no profit no loss’ motif,” Sarma said.