Times of India | 1 month ago | 31-01-2023 | 08:34 am
PANAJI: The regional cancer institute that is being built on the premises of the Goa Medical College will be completed in the next 15 to 16 months, health minister Vishwajit Rane announced on Monday.“Dr Kailash Sharma has been appointed as the nodal officer for the regional centre and the Assam model will be followed in operating the cancer facility in the state,” said Rane.The Assam model, said Rane, has been recommended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Under this model, the regional facility will operate in coordination with the Centre, and in association with the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai.“There is a fixed format of the central government and an agreement that will be followed for the regional cancer centre. The process has been initiated,” said Rane. The health minister also clarified that the state will not have a tie-up with any private institute for the running of the cancer centre.He added the government was looking at whether cancer marker tests could be made available at all government facilities.The Centre has given the Goa government Rs 104 crore for setting up holistic and wellness centres in urban areas, and one has been already set up in Sattari. A consultant has been appointed to study where more centres can be established, the health minister said.A palliative care centre was recently started at the South Goa district hospital with the support of the Cipla Foundation, said Dr Anupama Borker, chief consultant and head at Goa Medical College’s department of medical oncology, adding that with the increasing cancer burden, the need for palliative care services was felt to assist patients and their families in dealing with the life-threatening illness. Palliative care services play an important role in improving patients’ quality of life and that of their families too, who face various challenges while dealing with the disease, said Borker. Meanwhile, the superspecialty block of the Goa Medical College is expected to be fully commissioned in three to four months. The appointment of consultants has been cleared. There is a need for an additional Rs 200 crore to purchase the diagnostic equipment for the superspecialty block, Rane added.
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