VIJAYAWADA: The State government has designated the Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH) as a Level-1 Cancer Centre, demonstrating its commitment to improving cancer care.
As part of this initiative, the government has allocated 1,500 yards of land to NATCO Trust for the construction of a new 100-bed block alongside the existing 100-bed facility at the Cancer Centre.
In a significant development, the Andhra Pradesh Health, Medical, and Family Welfare department entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NATCO Pharma officially at APIIC Towers in Mangalagiri on Tuesday.
The MoU signing ceremony took place at the department headquarters at Mangalagiri in Guntur district, in the presence of Special Chief Secretary of Health, Medical and Family Welfare MT Krishna Babu.
Director of Medical Education Dr Narasimham along with the Founder of NATCO Pharma and Managing Trustee of NATCO Trust VC Nannapaneni signed the agreement.
Speaking on the occasion, MT Krishna Babu said, “The Guntur GGH has been receiving overwhelming response from thousands of patients for providing exceptional services. The total bed count will be increased to 200 to enhance medical services.”
Krishna Babu highlighted their commitment to ensuring the availability of adequate medical personnel and high-quality treatment for cancer patients at the centre. Plans include the establishment of State-of-the-art facilities for radiation, medical, and surgical departments.
Tenders have been issued for the procurement of a positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan (PET-CT) machine to enable early cancer detection.
The Special Chief Secretary emphasised the allocation of 120 nurse posts, along with 30 specialised nurse positions trained to cater specifically to cancer patients.
VC Nannapaneni expressed his organisation’s commitment to the project by announcing the construction of a 100-bedded cancer block spanning 35,000 square feet. In a gesture of goodwill, Nannapaneni handed over medicines worth `60 lakh to MT Krishna Babu for the benefit of patients receiving treatment at the NATCO Cancer Centre during the current quarter.
Executive Vice President of NATCO Pharma Nannapaneni Sadasiva Rao, Coordinator Y Ashok Kumar, Superintendent of GGH Guntur, Dr Kiran Kumar, and other dignitaries graced the occasion.