GUNTUR: The NATCO Cancer Care Centre at Guntur Government General Hospital has been receiving an overwhelming response from thousands of patients for offering exceptional services and state-of-the-art treatment facilities. Inaugurated by the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on July 1, 2020, NATCO cancer centre is the first comprehensive cancer facility in Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation of the State. With an aim to provide best treatment to cancer patients, NATCO pharma chairman Nannapaneni Venkaiah Chowdary came forward to set up a comprehensive cancer specialty centre under the oncology department at Guntur GGH.
Located on the premises of Guntur GGH, the cancer centre was constructed in 1.6 acre land with Rs 50 crore. Due to the increasing response, the officials have increased the number of beds from 110 to 150 to provide best treatment to the patients. As of now the cancer centre has 150 beds in total along with an ICU department, ten out-patient wards, a comprehensive lab, operation theatres and a conference hall.
The centre has become a one stop place for all cancer patients across the State. In the last two years, the cancer care centre expanded its services into radiation, medical, surgical oncology, nuclear medicine, and radiotherapy. The centre is also equipped with modern medical devices worth Rs 19 crore, including the Varian Vitalbeam Linear Accelerator, Brachytherapy, CT Stimulator and a Mammography machine which helps in curing cancer patients. The centre employs over 25 Oncology professors, assistant doctors, and junior assistant doctors to provide super-specialty treatment to the patients.
Speaking to TNIE, NATCO Coordinator Ashok Kumar said that starting from diagnosis to treatment, all tests, medicines, and therapies for patients are free of cost. NATCO Trust is providing free medicines worth Rs 1 crore every year, he added. After the public recognition, the in-patient and out-patient numbers increased significantly. Over 14,600 out-patients were treated and 475 surgeries had been performed in 2023.
