Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma asserts that the state now has the country's most extensive network of government cancer hospitals. With 12 of 17 planned centres now operational, two more were recently inaugurated by Union Minister Amit Shah.
Assam's Unprecedented Cancer Care Network
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday noted that Assam now operates two cancer hospitals and that no other state in the country possesses such an extensive network of cancer hospitals within the government sector. Assam has a network of 17 cancer hospitals planned under the Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF), a joint initiative of the Assam government and Tata Trusts and Sarma said that 12 of them are operational.
Two more cancer treatment centres at Golaghat and Tinsukia, each developed at a cost of Rs 135 crore under ACCF were inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah today virtually from Guwahati. "You all must remember that before COVID, Ratan Tata had come to Assam in the presence of the Home Minister and the Home Minister had told Ratan Tata that you should build a Cancer Hospital in every state of the North East. Assam then dreamt a bigger dream. We signed an MoU in front of Ratan Tata and the Home Minister that the Assam Government will contribute 50%. Tata Trust will contribute 50%. to build 17 Cancer Hospitals in the entire state. From Chemo to Radio Therapy to Surgery. Today we have 12 Cancer Hospitals... two more were innaguraged by the Home Minister today in Golaghat and Tinsukia and with three more that dream will be complete. Today, I feel that no other states in the government sector have such a network of Cancer Hospitals as Assam has today," said Sarma.
Expansion of Healthcare Infrastructure
Earlier today, Amit Shah inaugurated the newly constructed Pragjyotishpur Medical College & Hospital in Guwahati. He also inaugurated the Golaghat and Tinsukia cancer centres. Additionally, Shah virtually laid the foundation stones for super-speciality hospitals at the Diphu, Jorhat, and Barpeta Medical College & Hospitals. He also laid the foundation stone for the Swasthya Bhawan at Sixmile in Guwahati and for the Abhayapuri District Hospital.
Addressing a rally in Guwahati, Shah also praised Assam CM's efforts to make the state a "complete state" in the health sector. "He has made Assam self-sufficient in the health sector even before the end of his term. Himanta was telling me in the car today that he wants to make Assam such that not a single patient has to go outside Assam to seek treatment. We want to create a state where poor patients from Bengal and the Northeast can seek treatment... I am very happy that patients who used to travel from here to Chennai, Mumbai, Karnataka, and Delhi for cancer treatment will now be able to receive treatment in government hospitals closer to their families," Shah said. (ANI)
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