Bhubaneswar: June 21: 531 bedded ‘Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre’ of Odisha is likely to be converted to ‘state cancer institute’. A central inspection team consisting of 3 members on Monday visited AHRCC at Cuttack and looked at the infrastructure facilities, faculty, research development and other modules of the centre. They will submit a report soon to transform the centre as a State Cancer Institute.
For up gradation, it needs Rs 120 crore out of which 75% would be contributed by Central Government and the remaining by State Government, officials informed. The infrastructure of the hospital will be developed as required besides ensuring modern technologies and treatments at hospital once it is given the status of the state cancer institute.
The focus of Inspection is to evaluate the infrastructure and facilities available currently at the hospital and assess the further requirements to convert it to a State Cancer Institute, informed Regional Director Somal Kar. Proposal for setting up a state cancer institute has been pending with Centre since last three years and government of Odisha has answered to all the queries made by central government. The team is here to conduct the final inspection before submitting its report to centre, said Lalatendu Sarangi, director of Acharya Harihar Cancer Centre.
Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced on September 2015 regarding AHRCC’s up gradation to a State Cancer Institute. Formerly it was working as an unit of SCB Medical College and Hospital and in 1981 it was separated from SCB Medical College and Hospital and started running on its own. It has been serving people not only of Odisha, but also people form Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Jharkhand.
