First Cancer Center To Be Set Up In Goa

Every 8 minutes, one woman dies of cervical cancer in India. Currently, around 2.5 million suffer from cancer in India, with 7 lakh people being added every year to the list. Out of these, more than 5,50,000 die. In such a grim scenario, the opening of a regional cancer center has brought a wave of happiness for many thousands of people across India. The new center will be set up in Goa and will be the first of its kind in the entire Konkan region that spans from Maharashtra to Karnataka.

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Center development

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Goa government and Union Health Ministry to signal a go ahead for the project. While the center's development cost is estimated at around Rs.100 crore, the state government will bear 40% of it and Rs. 45 crore have already been sanctioned by the ministry for the project. The center will be a part of the Goa Medical College (GMC) and Hospital, Bambolim and specialized staff will be posted at the center. A three-member board comprising of GMC dean Dr Pradeep Naik, medical superintendent Dr S M Bandekar, and radiology department professor Dr Mahesh Sardesai has also been set up to oversee and ensure smooth implementation of the project. And the charge of development of infrastructure has been given to the Goa Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC). According to Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, "The infrastructure for the project would be set up within six months.''

Cancers that you have the highest risk of developing

In India, women are particularly at a high risk of developing breast cancer and cervix cancer, especially in regions of Maharashtra, Kerala, Bangalore and Chandigarh. In men, oral cancer and lung cancer are the most prevalent, with the highest number of cases being registered in Bangalore and Assam.

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(With Inputs from PTI)