PANJIM: The State Government has received the first installment of Rs 8.5 crore towards setting up of Regional Cancer Centre which will come up at the premise of Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim. 

While government is gearing up to charge the outstation patients availing medical services at GMC from this month, the treatment at Regional Cancer Centre would be free for them. 

Disclosing this, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said that the Regional cancer centre project, which was pending for last 2-3 years has finally got a boost with Union Health Ministry releasing first installment of Rs 8.5 crore to the State. 

“The project is to be constructed on 60:40 ratio. The total cost of the project is Rs 45-50 crore,” Minister said adding that Rs 10-12 crore will be spent on construction of building and another Rs 7 crore on civic works, all to be funded by State. Rs 40 crore will be spent on equipments like high energy linear accelerator, simulator, treatment planning system, digital X-ray machine, ECG machine, open surgery instruments, surgical stapler, cavitron ultrasonic dissection, minimal access surgery, etc. 

“People of Goa have to go for tertiary care in Bombay and people suffer so much. Cancer is one of the most galloping diseases in the State of Goa because one in ten persons is found suffering from some aliment related to cancer. Hence, we want to provide the service within the State,” the minister said. 

Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation (GSIDC) is the nodal agency for implementing the project. “But we intend to take assistance from Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation (HSCC),” Rane said. 

Rane said that government has also proposed a large number of expert staff in the oncology field to run the centre, which is been set up as part of MoU signed with Union Ministry. 

“The project will be complete within 12 months from the date of commencement of construction work,” he said. 

The minister announced that the foundation stone for the Centre would be laid along with the Super Specialty Block proposed at Bambolim by Union Minister for Health Jagat Prakash Nadda.  

The Union Ministry has finalized contractor for the super specialty project, which will be completed within 18 months. 

It is a 550 bedded hospital to be set up at a cost of Rs 320 crores, of which Rs 150 crore coming from Centre.