Cuttack, Sept. 14: A full-fledged intensive care unit (ICU) will come up at the Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre here within two months, health and family welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said today.

The 11-bed ICU will provide advanced post-surgical treatments to cancer patients.

Besides, the process is also on to procure advanced machines and other equipment for the ICU as well as various operation theatres for the cancer care centre at a cost of Rs 10 crore.

The proposed ICU will benefit hundreds of patients from Odisha and neighbouring states such as Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

The work for the dedicated centralised oxygen supply lines has been completed. A sum of Rs 32 lakh has been spent for it.

The centre, which is the state's most important referral hub for cancer treatment, did not have an ICU since its inception in 1981. In the absence of an ICU, the patients used to recuperate after surgery at the special post-operative ward. The centre could not take up the construction work of the ICU all these days because of shortage of manpower.

The work for the ICU started recently only after the state government sanctioned 30 new posts of professors, senior resident doctors and other paramedical staff for the hospital. After the fresh appointments, the hospital will have 80 doctors.

Several issues, from introduction of postgraduate courses in oncology to speedy execution of construction of a second campus at Naraj, were discussed at the institute's general body meeting chaired by the health minister today.

"We have already written to the Medical Council of India for starting postgraduate courses at the cancer care centre. This will play a crucial role in overcoming doctor shortage," said Nayak.

The director of the cancer centre , Lalatendu Sarangi, said 68 acres had been identified for the second campus at Naraj. The work for the second campus is expected to begin next year. "The second campus is essential keeping in view the heavy turnout of patients on the existing campus, which has a capacity to accommodate 416 patients," said Sarangi. The patient turnout at the hospital stood at 32,866 in 2014-15.

Sarangi told The Telegraph that a proposal had already been given to the state government for upgrading the cancer care centre into a state cancer institute.

The governing body of the cancer care centre today also decided to supervise drug distribution to seven district headquarters hospitals in various parts of the state so that cancer patients could undergo chemotherapy at their respective locations.