Kokrajhar Cancer Centre- heralding a new phase in cancer treatment

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: On the occasion of completing nearly 100 days since the inauguration of Kokrajhar Cancer Centre, a delegation of senior dignitaries from the BTR, led by the Chief Executive Member (CEM) Promod Boro, Arup Kumar Dey, Executive Member, Health, local MLA Lawrence Islary, Varnali Deka, Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner and other senior health officials of Kokrajhar district, visited the centre on Friday.

The visiting dignitaries appreciated the fact that the state-of-the-art 'Truebeam Linear accelerator' for radiotherapy of cancer patients was ready in the centre. Chemotherapy and other supportive treatment for cancer have already been started in the centre. The CT simulator has already started, Mammography and 800 MA X Ray are fully commissioned and awaiting for the license to be received shortly. The 1.5 Tesla MRI is in the final stages of commissioning and will be ready by another one week or so.

Earlier, patients had to travel to far away cities and incur huge expenses in travel and accommodation while going for treatment, but now the same will be available near their homes.

Speaking at the occasion, Pramod Boro, Chief Executive Member, said that the government was committed to provide the best healthcare facilities to the people and patients suffering from cancer must make the Kokrajhar cancer centre as the first point of contact for their treatment. He also appealed to people to come to the cancer centre at the earliest whenever they have any symptoms suggestive of cancer. The available facilities at Kokrajhar Cancer Centre can save many lives, if treatment is started at an early stage of the disease, he said.

"I am told that the doctors in the centre are virtually able to take further expert advice on individual patients from Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and Kolkata, which means our people will get best of treatment sitting at home," the CEM said.

Dr Nirmal Kumar Singha, Medical Superintendent of Kokrajhar Cancer Centre, showed the facility to the visiting dignitaries and assured that facilities would further evolve to the next level in another two to three months.

Varnali Deka, Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner, and local MLA Lawrence Islary hoped that the centre would benefit people of the surrounding areas like Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Baksa, Chirang, West Bengal and neighboring country Bhutan.

Speaking on the occasion, Arup Kumar Dey, Executive Member (Health ), BTC, stated that the centre had handled 216 cancer cases till now and 61 patients had received chemotherapy. The high precision and safe radiation therapy by 'Linear Accelerator' would also start from today for patients, he said.

Assam Cancer Care foundation (ACCF) is a joint initiative of the Government of Assam and The Tata Trusts. ACCF is coming up with a network of total 17 cancer hospitals in the State and Kokrajhar Cancer Centre is part of the first phase of the programme.

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