Bagchi-Shankara Cancer Hospital & Research Center Likely To Operate By Rath Yatra 2023

Bhubaneswar: The Bagchi- Shankara Cancer Hospital and Research Center in Info-valley-II is likely to start providing service to people by Rath Yatra of 2023.

The construction work of the world class advanced cancer treatment facility in Bhubaneswar, has made substantial progress bringing hope of starting services by mid of next year.

This was known from the field level review of upcoming hospital by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra. The Chief Secretary along with Chairman of Odisha Skill Development Authority and Funding patron of the Hospital Dr Subrato Bagchi visited the campus, and reviewed the physical progress with engineers and supervisors working at the field level.

Mahapatra reviewed the matters like availability of construction materials, man power, machine, possible law and order bottleneck etc. The engineers, said construction work was on in full swing and foundation work for OPD building is over. The engineers expressed hope that roof casting of the ground floor would be done by first week of May.

In the review, target was set to start treatment of patients by Car Festival of 2023 after completion of the first phase of construction.

The facility will be developed into a 750-bed hospital with latest equipment and world class expertise in cancer treatment. Originally, a 500-bed hospital was planned.

The Chief Secretary advised to develop the low-lying area of the campus to a beautiful tank. Available data showed that the hospital was being built with estimated cost of around Rs 220 crore. Government of Odisha has provided 20 acre land free of cost as the hospital would operate as a philanthropic health care institution.

Later, Mahapatra and Bagchi visited the premises of Bagchi-Karunashraya Palliative care centre being constructed over another 20 acres of land near the hospital.

The centre would have 150-bed unit with all palliative care and service facilities. It would also provide consultancy to the patients and their family members. The centre would have one 500 seated auditorium for education and research activities. An amount of Rs 210 crore would be invested in development of the centre. Target was set to complete its construction by 2023 July.

Further, review showed that the centre which operated from its temporary campus at Gandamunda with rendering of home-based service to the patients from December last year, also started OPD services from March. Mostly the patients needing palliative care were being referred from Acharaya Harihar Cancer Hospital, Cuttack; AIIMS, Bhubaneswar; Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar and other Government Hospitals.

It may be mentioned that Bagchi-Karunashraya Palliative Care Centre was inaugurated in its temporary campus at Gandamunda by the Chief Secretary in December, 2021.