Ratan Tata to lay foundation of Tata Trust-Assam govt cancer care hospitals

GUWAHATI: Industrialist Ratan Tata will lay the foundation of all the 19 cancer care hospitals to be set up in Assam by Tata Trust in collaboration with Assam government in a central function to be held in Guwahati on June 17 next to set the ball rolling for the humane projects that aims to provide quality treatment to thousands of cancer patients in the region close to their home.
Assam heath and family welfare minister, Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma today informed that Assam government and Tata Trust have floated a joint-venture called Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) with a corpus of Rs 2000 crore that is shared 50:50 basis by both the entities to set up 19 cancer care hospital in the state. The health minister of Assam will be the chairman of the ACCF which will have three representatives each from Assam Government and Tata Trust.
Dr Sarma informed that sites have been selected and mapping was being carried out for 13 of these 19 proposed cancer care hospitals. “There cancer care hospitals will be set up in three levels – Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Basic cancer treatment like chemotherapy etc. will be provided in the Level 3 hospitals while surgery facility will be there in Level-2 cancer care units. Most sophisticated treatment will be provided at the Level -1 hospital in Guwahati Medical College where the existing cancer hospital will be expanded in a massive way through investment of Rs 200 crore,” the minister said.
The Level -3 cancer care hospitals are being set up at Darrang, Goalpara, Golaghat, Haflong, Karimganj, Kokrajhar, Sivasagar, Tinsukia and Nalbari. The Level-2 hospitals will be set up at Barpeta, Diphu, Jorhat, Silchar, Tezpur, Dhubri, Lakhimpur, Nagaon and Dibrugarh.