Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will bear the additional funds required for the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre coming up at Jatani, following a policy decision taken by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
The hospital is being established under the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India on the lines of the Tata Memorial Centre, a premier cancer treatment facility. While the hospital was initially planned with 200 beds, its capacity has subsequently been increased to 385 beds, resulting in a rise in the estimated construction cost.
The Tata Steel Foundation is also contributing funds towards the project. However, the Chief Minister has directed that the additional financial requirement be met from the state government’s budget. The additional funds will be utilised for expanding the bed capacity and strengthening other infrastructure and equipment at the facility.
A large number of cancer patients from Odisha currently travel to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai for treatment. The proposed facility at Jatani is expected to provide advanced cancer care closer to home and benefit not only patients from Odisha but also those from other parts of eastern India.
The state government’s decision is aimed at ensuring that the project is completed with the required capacity and infrastructure to meet the growing demand for specialised cancer treatment in the region.
