Modi hands over Bhabhatron to Mongolia for cancer treatment

Modi, on a two-day visit to Mongolia, drove down to the National Cancer Centre and gifted the centre the equipment to boost cancer care

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today gifted Mongolia a Bhabhatron, the indigenous machine developed by Indian scientists for cancer treatment, in the first demonstration of bilateral cooperation in the civil nuclear sector.

Modi, on a two-day visit to Mongolia, the first-ever by an Indian Premier, drove down to the National Cancer Centre here and gifted the centre the equipment to boost cancer care.

"It is state-of-art nuclear medicine cancer therapy machine, developed and manufactured in India," he said about the machine developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

Earlier today, while addressing the country's Parliament, Modi said the Bhabhatron equipment "can help treat cancer in Mongolia. This will be the first demonstration of our cooperation in the civil nuclear sector".

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted a picture of the Prime Minister with the hospital staff at the Centre, saying: "Boosting cancer care in Mongolia. PM @narendramodi hands over Bhabhatron at National Cancer Centre."

An MoU was earlier signed between India's Tata Memorial Centre and Mongolia's National Cancer Centre for gifting of Bhabhatron-II Tele-therapy Unit along with a Radiotherapy Simulator.

Mongolian Prime Minister Chimed Saikhanbile thanked India for its support for the development of peaceful use of nuclear energy in Mongolia, and appreciated the gesture of providing the Bhabhatron and the simulator to the centre.

On the second leg of his three-nation tour, Modi is on a two-day visit to Mongolia and will leave for South Korea tomorrow from here.