Cancer treatment in Assam to get fillip

Super-specialty cancer hospital in GMCH, 100-bedded cancer units in other medical colleges and cancer OPD in civil hospitals in the offing, says Health minister

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, July 19: Assam is set to get a super-specialty cancer hospital soon. A 200-beded hi-tech cancer hospital with all up-to-date equipments, which will be a part of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), will be iugurated on October 2 this year. Replying to a question raised by Congress MLA Ajanta Neog, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said this in the Assembly today.

“The Government started setting up the 200-bed super-specialty cancer hospital in 2009 to check the mece of cancer and it will be iugurated on October 2 this year. The new cancer hospital will function as an autonomous body,” Sarma said.

“For the first time in the Northeast, Assam will have the latest PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography) scan machine worth around Rs 35 crore for detecting cancer at an initial stage,” he added. Dr Bibhash Goswami of Mumbai’s Jaslok Hospital is likely to be appointed as director of the hospital, the Health minister informed.

He further said that 100-beded cancer units with LIC machine will be opened at the medical colleges at Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Tezpur, Silchar and Barpeta. “This apart, an OPD unit for cancer treatment will be opened in every civil hospital of the State,” he said.

The minister said two doctors will be trained and appointed in every civil hospital across the State to detect cancer symptoms and give basic treatments from next year.

Earlier, drawing the attention of the House, Former PWD Minister and MLA Neog said there are no facilities in hospitals of the State for early detection of cancer. 

“So the government should take effective steps for early detection of cancer. To sensitize the people, the government should declare a ‘cancer awareness month’,” she suggested.

Neog further said that female doctors should be appointed for treatment of women cancer patients.      

Minister Sarma informed the House that 90,000 cancer patients were detected in the State during the last five years. “In B Barooah Cancer Institute alone, 86,405 cancer patients were registered during the last five years,” he said.

Sarma also promised free cancer treatment for patients from poor families. “We have also decided to increase the amount of fincial assistance for cancer patients,” he said.  

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