Agartala, Jan. 15: A sharp rise in number of cancer patients has prompted the Tripura government to plan an upgrade of the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) to a full-fledged cancer hospital with all advanced facilities.
This was announced on Friday by health minister Badal Chowdhury during a programme to inaugurate AMRIT Pharmacy for cancer patients at the cancer centre.
"AMRIT pharmacy will provide costly cancer drugs to patients who live below-poverty line, free of cost. We hope that it will be of great help to poor people suffering from cancer," Chowdhury said at the cancer centre complex near the Agartala Government Medical College and GB Pant Hospital. He also said a new seven-storey building will come up within two acres of the cancer centre complex.
Tracing the history of the cancer centre, its director and eminent oncologist Gautam Mazumder said a cancer hospital with only OPD service was launched in 1980, and it was upgraded to an cancer centre in 2008 with lot of facilities and accommodation of 50 .
"We have come a long way over the past eight years since 2008 and now we can accommodate 100 patients with 10 more who come for temporary stay for chemotherapy and provide fairly advanced treatment to them," Mazumder said.
He said the sharp 39 per cent rise in incidence of cancer in Tripura is a cause of concern.
"In 2013 we had altogether 2,082 OPD patients but in 2016 the number rose to 2,400. Besides we had annual visit of 67,759 old patients in 2016," he added.
Providing data on treatment of cancer patients at the cancer centre, Mazumder said surgeries for cancer are conducted at GBP Hospital.
In 2013, altogether 31,456 surgeries were conducted at GBP Hospital, but last year the figure crossed 33,000 though specific figures are not yet available. Similarly, daycare chemotherapy was provided to 9,798 patients in 2013, but last year altogether 11,201 patients had undergone chemotherapy at the RCC.
"All these show that incidence of cancer has gone up in Tripura as in other parts of the Northeast; so we are launching a full-fledged hospital with most advanced facilities which will help people of the state," Mazumder said.
He rued that many cancer patients do not at all contact the cancer centre here and go to private hospitals like Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai besides Chittaranjan and Thakurpukur cancer hospitals in Calcutta and incur heavy expenses.
Mazumder attributed the high incidence of cancer in Tripura and in other parts of the Northeast to consumption of tobacco and betel leaf with tobacco products.
"Most of our patients have throat, lung, pancreas, prostrate and liver cancers. The incidence of lung and phering (internal part of mouth) cancer is the highest," Mazumder said.
He added that the situation calls for greater awareness campaign on harmful effects of consuming tobacco.
According to him, if diagnosed at early stage many types of cancers are now curable.
