New cancer hospital in Guwahati

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 10 – A new state-of-the-art 200-bed cancer hospital is coming up in the State near the Gauhati Medical College with an independent status. The construction of the Rs. 100-cr State Government hospital - which would also offer a postgraduate course in oncology - would be formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on February 1.

State Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, while announcing this today and is expected to be completed within 18 months.

With advanced MRI and other state-of-the-art facilities, the hospital would be developed as a prime centre for cancer-care in the State. On the other hand, the B Borooah Cancer Institute would be the North East regional centre for cancer treatment and necessary steps would be taken to upgrade it further.

“District level centres would also be established in Sivasagar and Mangaldoi for early diagnosis of cancer,” said Sarma while expressing concern over the issue of tobacco consumption, which is one of the main reasons behind the increasing cancer cases in the State.

Speaking at the launch of Indian Cancer Care Network (ICCN) – a software service in the State along with the rest of the country – he said that within the next three to four year, the State is expected to develop the necessary expertise in the field of cancer treatment so that patients from Assam and North East need not go outside in search of better treatment for cancer.

The software was launched by Clear Win Technologies, USA along with the North East Clinical Excellence Forum, UK, Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters, USA and the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. The facility was dedicated for information needs of cancer patients in North East India.

“The portal www.cancercare.net.in would include referral services for different healthcare facilities in India and abroad. The cost of treatment and travel expenses can also be acquired through this multilingual portal that would have Assamese, Hindi and Bengali web pages along with English,” said Jayanta Biswa Sarma of the NECEF.

A Cancer Care Information Centre (CCIC), based in the GMCH premises, would offer information regarding cancer care to the patients and visitors of the GMCH on a regular basis. The CCIC would also provide information about various treatments available in other hospitals across the country and help patients to forward their electronic medical records to those hospitals. ASSAM TRIBUNE