Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Odisha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Ratagarh which will act as benchmark to the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.
A sum of `800 crore has been earmarked for executing and grounding the cancer care projects over a period of five years. While the state government will provide `500 crore, Tata Trusts, which will set up and manage the proposed cancer treatment and research hospital, have committed `300 crore. Besides, the state government would facilitate and contribute in setting up of the centre by providing 25 acre land free-of-cost.
These apart, the state government would also fund the operational expenses of all facilities established under the programme and would support in full for the free treatment of the poor. A pact in this regard was signed May 6 last year between the state government and Tata Trusts in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Tata Trusts chairman Ratan Tata. Speaking on the occasion, the CM said the state government is committed towards cancer treatment and has started chemo programme at the district headquarters hospitals in the state.
Sources said the first phase of the centre will be commissioned in a year’s time.
The 500-bed hospital, with state-of-the-art facilities, will become a major centre for cancer treatment in eastern India.
The comprehensive care programme, as per the MoU, will be set up through a three-tier network of facilities with the Tata Trusts’ proposed centre at Bhubaneswar and Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre in Cuttack as apex centres.
Tata Trusts chairman Ratan Tata, Health and Family Welfare Minister Pratap Jena and BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahatab were among those present on the occasion.
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