Centre approves Kolkata-based cancer institute at Rs.534 crore

The government Thursday gave the nod to developing a state-of-the-art 460-bed second campus of the Kolkata-based Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute at a cost of Rs.534 crore with the aim to provide comprehensive care to patients of the killer disease.

The decision was taken at the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs here.

The cabinet approved the development of the first phase of of the institute's second campus at an estimated cost of Rs.534 crore, of which the central share will be Rs.400 crore, said a statement issued here.

"This will be a 460-bed hospital with state-of-the-art facilities for comprehensive care and diagnosis of cancer," the statement added.

The new campus is in Rajarhat, Kolkata, and is near the airport. It will completed in 30 months.

The facilities will include radiation oncology, surgical oncology, medical oncology, cancer diagnostics, preventive oncology and palliative care.

The institute will cater to West Bengal, the northeast and other states.

The existing campus has only 200 beds with constraints of an old building and limited land resulting in a very high patient load, the statement said.

The new campus has been envisaged to meet the objectives of affordable and accessible tertiary-level care for treating cancer, it added.

"The new facilities will also address the current regional imbalance in the availability of tertiary care cancer facilities. Development of human resources in various fields of cancer treatment will also receive a much needed impetus," it said.

Cancer is emerging as a major public health concern in India. Around 11 lakh new cases are diagnosed every year and the mortality rate is 5.5 lakh per year.

India is lagging behind in cancer treatment facilities compared to World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, which require one radiotherapy machine per million people.

India at present has 0.41 machines per million people.

The setting up of the second campus at Rajarhat will be a new chapter in the initiative against cancer, a government official said.

"This approval comes in addition to the National Cancer Institute approved at Jhajjar and the setting up of 20 state cancer institutes and 50 tertiary care cancer centres in different parts of the country," the official added.