Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Monday stated that the Andhra Pradesh government is committed to making the State cancer-free. As part of this goal, infrastructure and medical services are being strengthened across government hospitals, including King George Hospital (KGH) in Visakhapatnam.
The Minister inaugurated advanced cancer treatment equipment worth Rs 42 crore at the Cancer Treatment Centre of KGH. The newly commissioned equipment includes a Linear Accelerator ( Rs 25 crore), CT Simulator ( Rs 9.5 crore), and Brachytherapy equipment ( Rs 7.5 crore).
These additions are expected to significantly enhance treatment in surgical, medical, and radiation oncology.
Addressing the media, Satya Kumar Yadav said that, until now, the lack of adequate facilities has forced many patients to travel to other states for treatment.
With the introduction of these machines, modern cancer care will now be accessible within the region.
MLAs Vamsikrishna Srinivas (South constituency) and Vishnukumar Raju (North constituency), NTR Vaidya Seva Trust Chairman Seethamraju Sudhakar, Director of Medical Education Raghunandan, KGH Superintendent I Vani, Administrator BV Ramana, Medical College Principal Sandhya Devi, CS RMO Srihari, and oncology specialists M Srinivas, Shilpa, and Panduranga Kumari were present.
Highlighting the seriousness of the issue, the Minister cited data from the Indian Council of Medical Research (2022), which recorded 15 lakh new cancer cases in India and 8.84 lakh deaths. WHO data for the same year reported 73,000 cancer cases in Andhra Pradesh alone. He noted that 16,000 people die each day due to cancer across the country.
He announced that a statewide survey would soon be conducted to identify individuals showing early symptoms of cancer.
The government is also preparing a plan to train doctors and medical staff, with specialised sessions planned to improve early detection and treatment capabilities.