Naveen promises BSKY empanelment, transport & Aahar centre at cancer hospital

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday attended the ground breaking ceremony, signalling the beginning of the work on Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre on NISER Campus in Odisha’s Khurda district.

Foundation stone of the Rs 650-crore project, which is a joint venture of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), which is the administrative department of NISER, and Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) along with Tata Steel Foundation, was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May this year on the occasion of the National Technology Day through video conferencing.

While the Centre will spend Rs 400 crore, the Tata Steel Foundation has committed Rs 250 crore for the project, which will come up 65.8 acres of land and have a 200-bed cancer hospital. The state-of-the-art facility and research centre is likely to be commissioned by December 2025.

Speaking on the occasion, the CM said that facility will be a great boost for people of Odisha in treatment of cancer and they no longer have to travel to Mumbai or other big cities. “Cancer patients of the neighbouring states like Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh will also benefit. The state government will provide wide access road, direct transport support through Mo Bus along with top class bus stops and a dedicated fire station in close proximity to the Cancer Hospital. This hospital will also be empanelled under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSYK) for providing free healthcare to patients of Odisha. An Aahar Kendra will also be set up on its the premises,” he said.

Naveen also informed that the state government has provided over 65 acres of land and financial assistance amounting to Rs 150 crore for a Medical Cyclotron facility here. “This will be the most advanced Research Level Cyclotron in Asia,” he said.

Emphasising that Odisha is witnessing a massive transformation in healthcare sector, he added, “We are strengthening our health infrastructure, prioritszing health education, and making regular recruitments of doctors. New medical colleges are coming up every year creating a huge pool of trained doctors. Our flagship Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana is providing free healthcare to over 94 lakh families in top healthcare institutions across the country.”