The Tata Trusts will set up and manage a state-of-the-art Cancer Treatment & Research Hospital in Bhubaneswar.
Accordingly Odisha Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Trusts for such a facility.
Secretary Health & Family Welfare Pramod Kumar Meherda signed MoU on behalf of the State Government.
As per the MoU, the Advisory Committee will recommend a Special Program Management Entity for executing the proposed network of cancer care facilities. The Project Management Entity will have members both from the State Government and the Tata Trusts.
A sum of Rs 800 crore has been earmarked for executing and grounding the cancer care projects under the program over a period of next five years.
Of this, Government of Odisha’s share will be Rs 500 crore, while Tata Trusts have committed Rs 300 crore.
Besides, the Government of Odisha will also fund the operational expenses of all facilities established under the programme and will support in full the free treatment of poor and needy patients.
It may be mentioned here that the Government of Odisha has been constantly taking proactive measures in providing free cancer care services in the state, including infrastructure upgradation of District Hospitals, both in terms of trained doctors & staff to provide free chemotherapy in all the 30 districts of the state, which includes initiatives for screening and early detection of cancer.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that the Tata Trusts has immense expertise in the field of cancer care and research.
The comprehensive cancer care program in partnership with Tata Trusts will certainly create the much needed synergy, the Chief Minister said.
Chairman of Tata Trusts Ratan N Tata said that the State has changed enormously in last few years.
“Cancer is a major thrust area and the Tatas will share their knowledge in cancer care to support the State’s efforts in high-end cancer treatment”, he added.
Tata’s Cancer Care Centre at Bhubaneswar will be benchmarked to the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.
The Government of Odisha will facilitate and contribute in setting up the Centre at Bhubaneswar by providing land to the extent of 25 acres, free of cost.
The comprehensive care program, as per the MoU, will be set up through a three-tier network of facilities with the Tata Trusts’s proposed Centre at Bhubaneswar and Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre in Cuttack as apex centers.
The medical colleges in the State and the district hospitals will be equipped to offer diagnostics and standardized day care chemotherapy with selected district hospitals additionally offering Radiotherapy services.
This will create a State-wide cancer care network with an objective to take treatment closest to patients.
The State Government has decided to set program priorities through an Advisory Committee headed by the Chief Secretary.
