CUTTACK: Health and Family Welfare Minister Naba Kishore Das laid the foundation stone of a new Radiotherapy Unit at Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC) here on Friday.
The advanced integrated unit will have modern equipment including one high and a low energy LINAC radiotherapy system, conventional simulator, Brachytherapy unit and Dosimetry equipment. It will be set up with the technical support of Tata Trust through Odisha Cancer Care Foundation(OCCF) to meet the present demand and requirement of AHRCC, the leading cancer hospital of Eastern India.
The total cost for setting up the new unit including the civil work and procurement of equipment is around `38 crore. While construction work assigned to Roads and Building department is scheduled to be completed by March next year, the new equipment and instruments will be procured through Odisha State Medical Corporation Limited (OSMCL).
Later on the day, elaborate discussions were held in AHRCC’s Governing Body meeting, held under the chairmanship of Das, for expansion and development of the hospital to ensure better healthcare facilities and deal with rising inflow of patients.
As per the discussions, AHRCC will soon have 200 more beds after completion of the ongoing construction of G+6 Floors in the existing LINAC building. The building will also house the CT, MRI, PET-CT machines ICU, Neutropenia and Paediatric wards. AHRCC currently has 281 beds.
Similarly, out of 11 quarters belonging to DTET, Industry and GA departments which are earmarked for demolition for expansion of AHRCC, six have been handed over to the institute. The R&B department is likely to start the demolition process soon.
The Tata Trust has been entrusted with preparation of the master plan for expansion of AHRCC which includes construction of a new surgical block with a minimum of 10 modular OTs, one academic block for Post Graduate studies, SR hostel and a multi-utility centre. New pension scheme will also be introduced soon for employees of AHRCC on approval of the Government.
Among others, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of Health department Dr Pramod Kumar Meherda, AHRCC Director Dr Lalatendu Sarangi, Dean and Principal of SCB Medical College and Hospital Prof Jayshree Mohanty and MD, OSMCL Jamini Sarangi were present.