In a first for northeast, a comprehensive Pediatric Cancers and Haemato-lymphoid Services Centre will be established at Guwahati's Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) by the Department of Atomic Energy, Govt of India. This was announced during a meeting of the management council of Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai.
According to an official statement, the proposed project will involve construction of a seven storied building at an estimated cost of Rs 73.78 crore in the existing vacant plot of land in the BBCI premises near the Jironi Ghar (guest house) with a proposed completion date of four years.
Director of BBCI Dr. Amal Chandra Kataki stated that around 400 childhood cancer patients visit BBCI from the northeastern region every year, adding that there was a scarcity of dedicated Pediatric and Haemato-lymphoid Services in the entire region.
Dr Kataki further said that the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have selected BBCI as one of the 11 centres of the South East Asia Regional Practice Network for Childhood Cancer Management. He added that four such centres will be from India including BBCI.
The project will be started "very soon", he later asserted.
