JP Nadda inaugurates Rs 39 crore advanced radiotherapy facility at AIIMS Rajkot
Rajkot: Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, on Monday inaugurated a Rs 39 crore Advanced Radiotherapy Facility at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rajkot.
The facility, equipped with advanced radiation therapy technologies, the facility marks an important step towards improving access to specialised cancer care for people across Rajkot and the wider Saurashtra region.
Established under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), the facility at AIIMS Rajkot reflects the Union Government’s continued efforts to address regional imbalances in the availability of tertiary healthcare services.
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Addressing the gathering, Shri J.P. Nadda said that cancer imposes a significant medical, emotional, social and financial burden on patients and their families. He emphasised that timely treatment is critical and that no person should be deprived of quality cancer care because of their location or financial circumstances. The Minister noted that the new facility would particularly benefit people from Saurashtra and Kutch, who previously had to travel to distant cities such as Ahmedabad and Mumbai for specialised treatment. He described the facility as a major step towards improving access to cancer care in the region, the PIB stated.
Shri Nadda highlighted the expansion of AIIMS under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, noting that India has progressed from one AIIMS in New Delhi to 18 operational institutions out of 22, significantly strengthening access to specialised tertiary healthcare. He also emphasised the need for seamless linkages across levels of healthcare to ensure patients receive appropriate treatment.
Emphasising prevention and early detection, Shri Nadda highlighted screening initiatives undertaken through Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Since 2018, approximately 44 crore screenings each have been conducted for hypertension and diabetes, while around 37.7 crore people have been screened for oral cancer, with approximately 2.5 lakh cases detected. Breast cancer screening has covered around 17.7 crore women, identifying approximately 95,000 cases, while 9.8 crore women have been screened for cervical cancer, with around one lakh cases detected. He noted that early detection enables patients to access treatment sooner and improves the prospects of recovery.
The Minister also referred to findings cited from a Lancet report indicating that 90 per cent of cancer patients begin treatment within 30 days. He attributed the improvement in timely access to treatment in part to the expansion of financial protection through Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), which has enabled economically vulnerable patients to seek treatment without the same financial constraints. Eligible AB PM-JAY beneficiaries at AIIMS Rajkot will be able to access cancer treatment at no cost, while other patients will receive treatment at subsidised rates to minimise financial burden.
Shri Praful Pansheriya, Minister of State for Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education, Government of Gujarat (Independent Charge), welcomed the inauguration and expressed gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for strengthening healthcare facilities in the region. He said that the advanced radiotherapy facility would be of considerable benefit to people across Saurashtra.
Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, described the inauguration as an important milestone in AIIMS Rajkot's development and a significant step towards the vision of Viksit Bharat articulated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. She highlighted the National Health Policy 2017, formulated under the guidance of the Union Health Minister, which envisages comprehensive healthcare encompassing preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative services, with Universal Health Coverage as a national goal.
Smt. Srivastava noted that the Government has strengthened healthcare infrastructure through more than 1.8 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs and the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission. She highlighted AIIMS Rajkot's contribution to advanced treatment and research, cancer screening initiatives under the Swasth Nari Sashakt Parivar campaign and measures to improve the affordability of cancer medicines, including trade margin rationalisation, AMRIT pharmacies, Jan Aushadhi Kendras and basic customs duty exemptions. She also noted the availability of CAR-T cell therapy at affordable rates in India.
Dr. J.S. Titiyal, President, AIIMS Rajkot, described the facility as an important addition to cancer care in the region and commended the Government of India and Gujarat Government for their support, along with the faculty, doctors, nurses and technical staff for establishing the service.
The Advanced Radiotherapy Facility is expected to serve a catchment population of approximately 1.54 crore people across Saurashtra, including Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Porbandar, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Morbi, Surendranagar, Gir Somnath, Devbhumi Dwarka and Botad. This benefits the region which largely comprises rural, semi-urban and economically weaker communities.
The facility is equipped with a High Energy Linear Accelerator (LINAC), a Wide Bore CT Simulator and a High Dose Rate (HDR) Brachytherapy Unit. The LINAC enables advanced techniques such as Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT), Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT), Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS), Stereotactic Radiotherapy (SRT) and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT), supporting precise delivery of radiation with millimetre-level accuracy. The Wide Bore CT Simulator supports three-dimensional treatment planning imaging, while HDR brachytherapy enables targeted internal radiation treatment for gynaecological cancers, head and neck cancers, sarcomas and other tumours.
The Department of Radiation Oncology functions within an integrated cancer care framework, supported by chemotherapy and surgical services, including head and neck, orthopaedic, gynaecological oncology and general surgery. This multidisciplinary arrangement allows patients to receive different forms of cancer treatment within a single institution.
Operational since 29 May 2026, the department has begun providing radiotherapy and chemotherapy services. The facility is expected to initially manage approximately 500–700 cases annually, with a focus on head and neck, gynaecological, breast, bone and soft tissue and other malignancies.
The programme was also attended by Shri Parshottambhai Rupala and Shri Kesridevsinh Jhala, Members of Parliament; Dr. L.N. Dorairajan, Executive Director, AIIMS Rajkot; and other senior officials from the Ministry of Health, faculty members and healthcare professionals.
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