WB Govt nod for SSKM cancer hub with Mumbai's Tata

Kolkata: The West Bengal state cabinet gave its approval to the setting up of a Cancer Care Hub (CCH) hub in collaboration with Tata Memorial Hospital (TMH) Mumbai. Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had announced the project in June 2021.

Within seven months of the announcement, the CCH started functioning partly from the existing facility of SSKM Hospital. Now with the green signal from the state cabinet, work on setting up the unit is expected to speed up.

The government earlier had identified a plot on 1, Harish Mukherjee Road opposite the existing campus of IPGMER (Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research) to house the CCH. A G+10-storey building will be constructed on this government land which will house a CCU complete with the advanced technology and modern equipment.

"The cabinet's approval paves the way for expediting the development of the CCH including that of completion of the building and financial allotment for infrastructure that will help the project see the light," said a senior health official.

Within three months of Banerjee announcing the project, a high-powered steering committee was formed. It has been meeting from time to time to monitor the development of the project.

"The construction of the new building is already underway and hopefully the first phase will be ready by December. In the meantime, we have already started offering patient care services under the CCH project from the existing facility at IPGMER," said radiation oncology head Aloke Ghosh Dastidar, the chairman of the high power committee.

It has already formed a panel of honorary consultants for the unit by roping in alumni of Tata Memorial Hospital, who are now based in Kolkata, on its board. These doctors are specialists in oncology for head and neck, urology, orthopaedic, medical and haematology and GI and thoracic.

Since the steering committee did not want to delay patient service it took its first baby step in January last year by opening OPD for onco surgery at SSKM. In July, 2022, it added preventive oncology services at Kolkata Police Hospital. In November CCH further expanded its service by starting a paediatric oncology unit at Kolkata Police Hospital.