All is set for construction of a building of Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Aganampudi near here. The building is coming up on a 77-acre site allotted by APIIC. This is the site where Volkswagen planned to set up its car manufacturing unit ten decades ago, but it did not materialise.
The hospital, which has been functioning for about one year, is all set to enter a new phase with the contractor concerned beginning the Rs. 154-crore civil works on Friday. Rajya Sabha member T. Subbarami Reddy got the hospital sanctioned when he was Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Science and Technology. The first phase of the hospital will have 100 beds and is expected to be completed in 18 months.
At present the hospital is functioning from containers that converted into rooms. It has the latest equipment in digital radiology, digital sonography and mammography. Each room is named after a river.
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The hospital is adequately staffed with oncologists, surgeons and physicians along with paramedical staff. “Each day 25 to 35 patients are being treated and 15 are being given chemo therapy while surgeries are being conducted at St. Joseph’s Hospital in the city, for which we have entered into an MoU with the hospital,” hospital director D. Raghunadharao has said. The hospital’s pharmacy sells medicines at a very low price.
The hospital is also providing palliative care, hospice service, homecare, and conducting screening camps. The hospital has adopted two villages in Vizianagaram district. It is also conducting camps at Narsipatnam area. The service is being provided with the help of Rotary Club, Maanava Seva organisation, Sneha Sandhya and individuals like Dwivedula Sastry.
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The Visakhapatnam Port Trust has been approached to hand over one floor of the port hospital to be converted into a cancer care unit where operation theatre and other facilities would be provided. The port management has tentatively agreed to the proposal.
A ‘dharamasala’ (choultry) is also coming up along with the hospital for the convenience of patients who need surgery or intensive care, and their attendants, according to Dr. Raghunadharao. When completed, the ‘dharmasala’ will accommodate 50 families and the patient and attendant will be provided food free of cost.