By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 07, 2022: The Odisha government on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai for establishment of a state-of-the-art Cancer Hospital at the NISER campus at Jatni about 25 kilometer from here.

This hospital will be built inside the NISER campus by Tata Trusts under their commitment to the Odisha Government in partnership with Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai.

Special Secretary Public Health Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty and Director of Tata Memorial Centre Mumbai Dr Rajendra Badwi signed the MoU in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

“The state government will provide a Cyclotron machine to meet the requirements for radioisotopes for treatment as suggested by Director Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai,” Patnaik said.

The chief minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Department of Atomic Energy and NISER for their support and cooperation for the upcoming Cancer Hospital.

He said that this institution will be an excellent example of cooperation between private, state government, central government and research institutions in the service of people.

As per the provision of the MoU, the Mumbai based Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) under the Department of Atomic Energy will establish a 200 bed hospital and run it with a proposed cost of Rs 650 crore. The Department of Atomic Energy has earmarked Rs 400 crore for this project whereas Tata Trusts will spend Rs 250 crore on this project.

Badwi also expressed happiness over the support by the state government for the centre. He said that the centre will undertake a population based registry to understand the magnitude of the problem.

Presently, NISER is providing 17 acres of land. The state government will provide another 40 acres of land for future expansion of cancer facility; establish 30MeV Cyclotron, staff quarters, township and academic blocks, patient attendants rest sheds and dharmasala.

This project will have three founding principles Service, Education and Research, an official said, adding that under the service component, this institution will offer state of art treatment to people of Odisha so that cancer patients do not have travel outside the state. The institution will run a full spectrum of oncological education and para medical courses to create skilled manpower for the entire eastern part of India.

The institution will collaborate with NISER to conduct translational research for unique cancers of Odisha. The hospital will also help the state establish robust systems for affordable cancer care and control.

There will be provisions of all advanced Cancer Care such as Surgical Oncology, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Radiology, Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Preventive Oncology and Palliative Medicine, Nuclear Medicine, etc.

In addition, the Cancer Hospital will coordinate with the state government for skill development and capacity building of doctors and paramedical staffs of Odisha. The Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) will provide technical support to strengthen the cancer care wings in Mayurbhanj and Ganjam districts. The TMC will integrate this Cancer Hospital with National Cancer Grid of TMC, Mumbai.

Nearly 40,000 new cancer patients are detected and around 18,000 Cancer deaths are reported in Odisha every year.

Under Odisha Comprehensive Cancer Care Programme (OCCP), Cancer Hospital having 50 beds each is coming up in 11 districts in Medical Colleges and District Hospitals under state government initiative, an official said.