Kozhikode: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate a Rs 350 crore MVR Cancer Centre and Research Institute (MVRCCRI) in the city on January 17, a top official of the institute announced today.
Speaking at a press conference here, C N Vijayakrishnan, Chairman, MVRCCRI, a unit of Cancer and Allied Ailments Research (CARE) Foundation and an initiative of Calicut City Service Cooperative Bank, is aimed at providing advanced cancer treatment facility at an affordable cost.
The CARE Foundation, initiated by the Calicut City Service Co-operative Bank in 2011, is a non-profitable charity organisation started with a noble cause of providing solace to hundreds of cancer patients in Malabar region who have to travel long distances and spend a lot of money for treatment.
“Our aim is to create a hospital and research centre for cancer treatment that can be raised to the standards of Kennedy Cancer Centre in the US in a phased manner.
The first phase which will be completed by April 2017, MVRCCRI will have 300 beds in a built-up area of six lakh sq ft, he said.
Dr Narayanankutty Warrier, Medical Director of MVRCCRI said cases of cancer are on the rise.
Every year about 60,000 cancer cases are reported in Kerala and only one-third of the patients are able to get quality treatment.
The issues faced by patients include affordability, non-availability of? hospitals and also the difficulties in travelling long distances to get treatment.
MVRCCRI, which is the first of its kind initiative in the private sector, addresses all these issues", Dr Warrier said.
MVRCCRI will work with cooperative hospitals across the state to start telemedicine centres to reach out and provide treatment for patients at a panchayat level, he said.
