Odisha govt signs MoU with Tata Trust for Cancer Treatment and Research Hospital

Bhubaneswar: As part of its continued efforts to make available high quality and affordable cancer care services in the state, the Odisha government on Sunday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tata Trusts, Mumbai to set up a state-of-the-art Cancer Treatment and Research Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Chairman of Tata Trusts Ratan N. Tata.

As part of the MoU, the Tata Trusts will set up and manage a state-of-the-art Cancer Treatment & Research Hospital in Bhubaneswar.

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 programme, 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 centres.

The Medical colleges in the state and the district hospitals will be equipped to offer diagnostics and standardised 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 Government of Odisha has decided to set programme priorities through an Advisory Committee headed by the Chief Secretary. As per the MoU, the Advisory Committee will recommend a Special Programme 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 crores has been earmarked for executing and grounding the cancer care projects under the programme 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.