West Bengal Cabinet nod to cancer care hub at SSKM Hospital

Kolkata: Bringing good news for cancer patients in West Bengal, the long-awaited joint project with Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) Mumbai to establish a state-of-the-art Cancer Care Hub (CCH) at the SSKM hospital has finally been approved by the state cabinet on Monday.

With the need to treat the growing number of cancer cases, the upcoming centre will serve not only the people of Kolkata but also other state districts. A new G+10-storey building will be constructed opposite the hospital campus to house the cancer care centre. It will offer comprehensive cancer care right from diagnosis to treatment.

Regarding this, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the SSKM Hospital and Tata Memorial Hospital to set up the centre on the campus. TMC alumni practising in Bengal will contribute to patient care at the new cancer centre. It will also train doctors and nurses of the Kolkata unit at the Mumbai facility.

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Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had, in June 2021, announced the setting up of two cancer care projects in association with Tata Memorial Centre — one at the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research-SSKM Hospital and the other at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.

Earlier, the cancer centre was functioning from the existing facility of SSKM Hospital, however, with the nod from the state cabinet, the facility will start functioning properly from its new building, which is expected to complete soon.

While speaking with TOI, a senior health official said, "The cabinet's approval paves the way for expediting the development of the CCH, including that of completion of the building and financial allotment for infrastructure that will help the project see the light."

"The construction of the new building is already underway and hopefully, the first phase will be ready by December. In the meantime, we have already started offering patient care services under the CCH project from the existing facility at IPGMER," said radiation oncology head Aloke Ghosh Dastidar, the chairman of the high power committee.

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