BARGARH: The long-standing demand for a cancer hospital in Bargarh district, which reports a large number of cancer cases in the state, is going to be a reality by the end of this year.
Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Jitendra Mohan Bebortha said work on the cancer hospital is in the final stage. “The executing agency is simultaneously carrying out their R&D on the structure. They will be handing over the building to us by December this year,” he added.
Official sources said the cancer hospital is being developed on over 10,000 sq ft area on the premises of Bargarh district headquarters hospital at Tukurla. It will be equipped with multiple facilities like a radiation therapy unit, medical oncology OPD, surgical oncology OPD, daycare centre, PETCT, IPD medical oncology, IPD surgical oncology and ICU arrangement.
The 5T secretary during his visit to Bargarh district in June this year reviewed the progress of the cancer hospital and directed the district administration to complete works on the hospital by December. As per a study, at least 8,000 new cancer cases are reported in the state every year, of which more than 60% of cancer patients are from western Odisha, the majority of whom are from Bargarh district, making it a district with the highest burden of cancer in Odisha.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during a public meeting on February 21, 2019, at Ichhapali near the Sohela area, announced to establishment of a cancer hospital at Bargarh. It came as good news for hundreds of locals and cancer survivors who had been expressing their demand for advanced cancer treatment facilities at the district from time to time. Although the project came to a standstill for some time after the announcement, the tender was subsequently floated for the project the same year and the work was initiated in full swing.
The cancer hospital in Bargarh will not only facilitate treatment but also enable research to identify the factors for the high burden of cancer in the district. Moreover, while the work on the proposed Tertiary Care Cancer Centre at VIMSAR, Burla is yet to begin, the functioning of the cancer hospital in Bargarh will be instrumental in the cancer management of the entire western Odisha region.