October 4, 2021
This is the fourth such machine in the country and the first to be based on the Time-of-Flight technology.
The event took place in the course of the VP’s ongoing eight-day tour across the North-Eastern States.
Collaborating with Tata Trusts, the Assam government is in talks for establishing a step-down cancer care model called the Distributed Cancer Care Model.
The VP also highlighted the need for creating patient-centric cancer institutions imparting standardized and affordable care in greater proximity to the patients.
The Hon’ble Vice President Shri M Venkiah Naidu inaugurated a PET-MRI wing at the State Cancer Institute at Guwahati, Assam on October 3, 2021, while on an eight-day tour across the North-Eastern States. Assam Governor, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Assam Chief Minister, Shri Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of Assam, Shri Keshab Mahanta, and Chief Secretary of Assam, Shri Jishnu Barua were also present during the event. This is the fourth such machine in the country and the first to be based on the Time-of-Flight technology. The Assam government has proposed to implement the step-down cancer care model called the Distributed Cancer Care Model (DCCM), in partnership with Tata Trusts. Under this model, one Apex Referral Centre called L1, Comprehensive Cancer Hospitals attached to Government Medical Colleges called L2s and Diagnostic and Day Care Centres with Radiation adjacent to District hospitals called L3s will be implemented.
In his address, the VP called for the collaboration of the private sector with the State governments to enable modern cancer treatment facilities in rural areas. Drawing attention to the goal of creating patient-centric cancer institutions to impart standardized and affordable care in greater proximity to the patients, rather than a single apex hospital with cancer-treating facilities, he spoke of reducing expenses for cancer patients. Urging all state governments to emulate the DCCM, he said that lessons
on adopting healthy lifestyles in school curricula to create awareness from a young age on preventing non-communicable diseases should be included. He cited the COVID-19 pandemic as an important lesson in maintaining good health and developing immunity and highlighted palliative care as a key area needing greater attention of governments and health professionals.
Lauding the Assam government and the medical fraternity of the state for their services during the pandemic, the Vice President also spoke of the need to create accessible and affordable to the average citizen.