Mumbai: Homi Bhabha National Cancer Institute in Varanasi, one of the projects of Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH), has opened its door to patients. The Varanasi centre aims to cater to patients from the northern belt, who travel all the way to Mumbai for affordable cancer care.
Since May 1, the hospital has registered 500 patients. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the facility soon. “We have started giving options to patients who are on maintenance therapy and follow-ups to continue treatment in Varanasi. It is a boon for these patients,” TMH’s head of medical and paediatric oncology Dr. Shripad Banavali said.
Dr. Banavali and other specialists from the TMH are visiting Varanasi on rotation. The hospital has commissioned 179 beds, while the plan is to add 350 beds in a new building. “Once all the beds are commissioned, the centre will be divided into two specialities: one for solid tumours and another for paediatric and blood cancers. At present, all the cancers are being taken care of under one roof,” Dr. Banavali, one of the coordinators for the Varanasi centre, said.
Annually, the TMH registers nearly 70,000 new cases. The hospital has a daily footfall of 2,000 patients, of which 200 are new. The patient load has increased over the years with the spurt in cancer cases in India.
“A majority of these patients travel from far-flung areas. Expenses like travel, loss of wages, and accommodation are nearly five times the cost of treatment,” oncosurgeon Dr. Pankaj Chaturvedi from TMH, said.
He said the Varanasi centre will be equipped to cater to patients from U.P., Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, and even from Nepal. “The PM had desired to inaugurate a running facility. So it may happen soon,” Dr. Chaturvedi, another coordinator for the Varanasi hospital, said.
The TMH’s plan to de-congest the Mumbai hospital will gradually yield results as three other cancer hospitals in Punjab, Chandigarh and Guwahati have started operations, while two more at Mullanpur in Chandigarh and Mumbai are being planned.
