Berhampur: In order to cater to rising demand of cancer patients in southern Odisha, a cancer care centre will come up at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur city.
As per the proposal approved by the state government, the cancer centre will be constructed in the open space with an area of 14,500 sq ft near playground of the MKCG Hospital with an estimated budget of Rs 55 crore. It will have 100 beds in a 4-storey building.
Besides, the cancer centre will have indoor and outdoor facilities, conference hall for the doctors and medical students, waiting space for the patients and their relatives and parking area, said junior engineer, Roads & Building, MKCG Division, Kulamani Ekka.
Initially, the government had proposed to set up a regional cancer centre in MKCG Hospital, but later changed the plan to construct the cancer care centre. A Kolkata-based company, which bagged the contract for construction of the centre a few months back, will start the work shortly, said Ekka.
It may be noted that more than 20 patients visit the cancer department in MKCG Hospital, which caters to the patients from southern Odisha. The patients undergo the treatment for months together at the cancer department under Radiology department.
But they have to be shifted to Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre at Cuttack as the MKCG department lacks necessary equipment and experts in surgical oncology and radiation therapist. Besides, the building housing the cancer department has become too old for safety of the patients, sources said.
