Nagpur: The city-based National Cancer Institute (NCI) will get a much-needed Rs100 crore boost by the Tata Trusts to upgrade hospital infrastructure and equipment. A Letter of Intent (LoI) to this effect was signed between the Trusts and NCI on Saturday.
After signing the LoI, Tata Trusts managing trustee R Venkatramanan said that the Trusts would be collaborating with the NCI in three ways. First, help NCI upgrade infrastructure facilities and equipment. Second, set up satellite centres in district towns like Chandrapur, Gadchiroli etc to facilitate basic cancer diagnosis. Patients need not travel to NCI for follow up and instead get basic treatment at these centre, which will also provide day care therapy. Third, assist training for NCI cadre like radiation therapists etc
Shailesh Joglekar, general secretary, Dr Aabaji Thatte Seva Aur Anusandhan Sanstha — which runs NCI — told TOI that the hospital will function as a platform for oncologists, philanthropists, researchers, academicians, medical fraternity, government, social organizations and provide comprehensive state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment to people at an affordable cost.
“Though we are yet to identify the location for our first satellite centre, a model plan will come up in six months. It will have MRI, CAT scan etc and will be connected to the NCI online so that the consultant oncologists here can advise the staff at the satellite centre for the right management of the patient,” he said.
The LoI was signed in presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who is also a member of Thatte Sanstha. Calling it a landmark collaboration, the CM said children and poor will get free treatment here. He said Tata Trusts were doing good work already in cancer treatment through 19 centres in different states. The Trusts should also work for prevention of cancer, he said.
Others present during the signing of the LoI were Ashish Deshpande, chief finance officer, Sir Ratan Tata Trust, advocate Sunil Manohar, NCI president, Dr Kailash Sharma, director (academics), Tata Memorial Centre and Dr Anand Pathak, medical director, NCI.
Meanwhile, all the major machines like MRI, CAT scan, PET scan, radiation facilities and other diagnostic and treatment equipment have been rendered dysfunctional at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) due to the record-breaking downpour in the city on July 6.
Though no one in the hospital is saying it on record, sources told TOI that the main cable supplying electricity to the machines and equipment was flooded with water. Since the hospital operates from the basement of the building, the rainwater gushed entered the basement through places especially from where the main cable goes down and divides into other cables for supply to the major diagnostic equipment and the radiation facilities there.
As a precautionary measure the supply to these machines has been shut since past eight days to prevent any untoward incident. Once the cable dries up completely and electric experts give a nod only then the machines will be started in phases, sources said.
