GUWAHATI: In a landmark event that promises to revolutionise the cancer care facilities in the region, chairman of the Tata Trusts, Ratan Tata on Monday centrally laid the foundation of the 19-hospitals cancer care grid in Assam in presence the BJP president Amit Shah, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal , Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu , Assam health minister Himanta Bishwa Sarma and a host of cancer care experts from all over the country as well as senior government officials.
Assam government and Tata Trusts have joined hands to float Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) with an initial capital of Rs 1910 crore to set up the cancer care grid comprising 18 hospitals and an apex research and development multi-specialty unit. The cancer care units in various levels would be spread all over the state that is known for high incidence of the disease. The Tata Trusts have initially invested Rs 830 crore and Assam government has invested Rs 1080 crore. These cancer care hospitals will become fully operational within two years.
Speaking on the occasion, Ratan Tata said, “Cancer is a silent killer. More people are killed in our country by cancer than the world average. The region witnesses the highest incidence of cancer in India. It is very laudable that Government of Assam with the help of the Centre have taken initiatives to address this silent killer as though we are fighting a war. The Tata Trusts have undertaken this programme and we greatly appreciate what Government of Assam government has done with the help of the Centre to address on a war footing a battle against cancer.”
“We hope what we are starting today will give at the time of our future generations possible treatment of cancer, greater chances of survival, perhaps one day in future cure from the disease. Our Trust is committed to leading the efforts holding hands with professionals who are playing their role in the area and researchers who can make a difference,” he said.
The BJP President Amit Shah while lauding the efforts of Assam government and Tata Trusts stated that the project would make a huge difference for the people of the region who now have to go outside the region at a heavy cost to get treatment for cancer. He said the BJP-led government in the Center, which under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is focused on facilitating rapid growth of the N-E states would provide all possible assistance to this visionary project.
He also called upon Tata Trusts to collaborate with other states of the region to set up similar cancer care units in those states.
Assam health minister Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma in his address mentioned that Tata Trusts had evinced interests in setting up similar cancer care facilities in other N-E states in coordination with respective state governments.
The ACCF will be run by a Trust comprising six members, three each from Assam government and Tata Trusts. Assam’s health and family welfare minister will be the chairman of the Trust that will manage cancer care hospitals.
The cancer care grid would have five Level-3 cancer day care units where basic treatment will be provided while there will be 12 Level-2 cancer care units where advanced multi-specialty treatment will be provided. Each of these Level-2 hospitals will have 150 beds each.
Assam Medical College Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh will be the Level-1 Unit which will be functioning as referral unit in the grid. It will have 250 beds.
The sate-of-the art Guwahati Medical College Cancer Care hospital with 500 beds will be the apex unit of the grid that will also function as the research and development unit which will be rechristened as South East Asian Cancer Research Organisation to do research on disease profile of the neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Bangladesh etc. Rs 200 Core additional fund is being invested in the apex cancer care unit in the grid out of which Rs 180 crore has been provided by the Centre and Rs 20 crore has been invested by the Assam Government.
As per the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) report 2016 every year 31825 new cancer patients are detected in Assam while there is average burden of 1.5 lakh cancer patients from preceding years who are being treated in government and non-government hospitals in the state.
The health minister said, “ Seventy per cent cancer patients face mortality in the state because of lack of treatment or late detection. If properly treated, 60 per cent of the cancer patients could have been saved.”
He said many expert doctors from outside the state would be joining Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) hospitals while recruitment drive has been started to recruit experienced nurses and other para-medical staff for these advanced hospices.