Kochi: In the wake of rise in Cancer cases, the Finance Minister Dr Thomas Isaac on Friday announced several measures for the benefit of patients that include the setting up of oncology departments in all the 12 medical colleges across the state. "The Malabar Cancer Centre will be developed to meet the standards of Regional Cancer Centre (Thiruvananthapuram). Besides a new cancer centre meeting the standards will be set up at Kochi. With this, the public sector health care system can cater to 80 per cent of the patients," the minister said.
Last month, Rs 395-crore Cochin Cancer Centre (CCRC) project has got the nod of the State Environment Impact Authority (SEIA) and the construction activities are expected to start in another three to four months. The 387-bed centre will have a capacity to accommodate 400 inpatients besides facilities for consultation for 800 patients at the outpatient department.
Meanwhile, the government has taken steps to start cardiology departments with facilities such as catheterisation laboratory and operation theatres in all the district hospitals. Trauma care centres will be set up in all district general hospitals, emergency medicine departments and taluk hospitals. "Already all the taluk hospitals boost dialysis units…The government aims to provide high quality affordable treatment, including that to modern life style diseases to the common man," the minister said.
