KOCHI: Lisie Hospital, which has earned the distinction for providing affordable healthcare service without compromising on quality, is starting a new hospital fully dedicated to cancer treatment.
The new hospital, which will come up at the existing OP wing of Lisie Hospital, will be set up at a cost of about Rs 300 crore, said Fr Thomas Vaikathuparambil, director. He said the construction of the 10-storey fully-fledged cancer hospital will be completed within two years.
The foundation stone for the proposed cancer centre will be laid on Saturday by Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, coinciding with Lisie Hospital’s 60th anniversary celebrations, Fr Vaikathuparambil said, “If you look at MRI, CT Scan, our rates are just Rs 250-275 higher than that charged by government hospitals and cheaper by Rs 1,000-3,000 compared to the private hospitals. Cancer treatment has become very expensive and our effort is to provide treatment for this disease at affordable rates. Our cancer care treatment will be cheaper by at least 40 per cent vis-a-vis other private hospitals,” he said.
Lisie Hospital, which is geared up to celebrate the diamond jubilee celebrations, has pioneered some of the cutting-edge medical practices.
In recent years, Lisie Heart Institute has become a major centre for Interventional Cardiology and Cardiothoracic treatment. The hospital has become the chosen destination for heart transplant surgery, thanks to the expertise of its talented surgeon Padmasree Jose Chacko Periapuram. The hospital was founded in 1957 in memory of Mar Augustine Kandathil as a token of his devotion to St Thérese de Lisieux, a French Carmelite nun known for the simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life. It was established by Fr Joseph Parecattil in memory of Mar Augustine Kandathil, who passed away shortly before the inauguration of the hospital, leaving behind the wish to build an establishment that would alleviate the pains of the poor.
The hospital started functioning in two rooms with one doctor, four nurses and five beds. Staying true to the idea it started with, the hospital has been providing healthcare services to many disadvantaged persons in the society and the hospital authorities say the number of indigent patients approaching the hospital for financial support is rising to unmanageable levels with each passing day. The hospital runs on help provided by very many generous people, who collaborate with the charitable initiatives of the hospital.
The grand finale of the the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations will be held on Saturday at Town Hall in Ernakulam. The function will be inaugurated by Supreme Court Judge Justice Kurian Joseph and presided by Cardinal Mar George Alencherry.