Adyar Cancer Institute to get apex centre status

 

Announcing the project in the Assembly she recalled that her request to Prime Minister to accord centre of excellence status to renowned Adyar Cance r Institute has fructified with centre accepting the state plea. Under the initiative the premier cancer hospital would be upgraded and strengthened and the district headquarters hospital would be equipped with mammograohy equipments at a cost of Rs 2.25 crore, she said.

 

“As the Chief Minister has announced the WIA will get more infrastructure to handle more patients. This will benefit hundreds of patients,” Dr J. Radhakrishnan said when contacted.

 

Already the state government has been extending assistance to this institution, he added.

 

According to Dr T. G. Sagar, director, Cancer Institute (WIA), this one-time grant will enable the institute to extend the free treatment facility to 30 per cent of its in-patients from the present 20 per cent. “In addition about 40 per cent of the patients receive surgery and treatment at highly subsidised cost. This apart, we are also involved in cancer prevention measures like tobacco cessation, detecting cancer early by screening and providing training to doctors and technicians,” he said.

 

On an average the institute sees about 15,000 new cancer patients every year and provides follow up treatment to about 1.5 lakh patients annually. “Once this institute is upgraded as apex centre, we anticipate an increase by 10 – 15 per cent in new cancer patients every year,” Dr Sagar added. The WIA is one among the 5 apex centres identified by the Centre.