Bargarh: The long-shuttered cancer hospital in Bargarh is set to resume operations in public-private partnership (PPP) mode, local MLA Ashwini Kumar Sarangi announced Sunday.
Speaking at a health camp for anaemia and cancer screening organised by the Agragami Yubak Sangha, Sarangi said the state government has decided to operate the Bargarh Cancer Hospital in collaboration with a private institution under the PPP mode.
A team from a Hyderabad-based organisation visited the facility Sunday, held a 45-minute discussion with the MLA, and later inspected the hospital premises.
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“If an agreement is reached between the state government and the organisation as per the prescribed guidelines, the hospital is expected to become fully operational within four to six months,” Sarangi said.
Sarangi stated that he, along with representatives from the Forum for Cancer Hospital at Bargarh and Fighters Group, had recently met Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and the health minister to press for the hospital’s activation. Following their meeting, a high-level discussion was held with departmental officials, during which the CM reportedly expressed a strong interest in making the hospital functional.
According to Sarangi, 120 beds and sufficient medicines have already been supplied to Bargarh Cancer Hospital. He further stated that the forum had requested a direct supply of essential drugs to the Bargarh facility instead of routing them through Acharya Harihar Cancer Institute in Cuttack. The health minister has since approved this request.
Speaking at the camp, Sarangi also urged people to remain health-conscious to avoid preventable diseases. Bargarh district has seen a worrying rise in the number of cancer patients and deaths, leading to growing concern among residents. The district has increasingly been described as a “cancer hub” in public discussions.
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