THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Thiruvananthapuram will receive Rs 45.60 crore as grants-in-aid from the state. The assistance is for the expansion of physical infrastructure, augmentation of facilities for early detection and treatment of general cancers and cancers affecting women and up-gradation of facilities for training and research.
“It was in the 22nd meeting of the special working group convened by the Finance Secretary that the assistance was approved. The main component of the project proposal submitted is the integration of cancer registry, cancer epidemiology, and surveillance,” said an officer of the health department.
According to the submitted proposal, the assistance would be used to purchase equipment for pathology lab, blood bank, clinical lab, microbiology and others as well as to purchase equipment for the treatment of gynaecological cancers. The officer added that as State Cancer Institute (SCI), the RCC also receives assistance from the Centre from time to time.
Centre had approved RCC as an SCI in 2014 under Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Facilities scheme, a component of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), however, it had categorically rejected the state’s proposal to elevate RCC to a National Cancer Centre (NCC).
As SCI, RCC is entrusted with the responsibility to mentor and coordinate the activities of other institutes in the state dealing with tertiary cancer care. Also, it provides outreach services, diagnosis and referral treatments along with research, participation in cancer registry programme and enhancing manpower capacity in the state in the field of cancer care.