Guwahati: The Assam government has decided to procure a proton therapy machine worth Rs 500 crore for cancer treatment, a move that will make it the first state in the country to introduce the advanced technology in the public healthcare system, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Thursday.
Speaking to mediapersons in Guwahati at an interaction titled ‘Natun Diner Alap’ on the occasion of the New Year, Sarma said proton therapy machines are currently available only at two private hospitals in the country, located in Mumbai and Chennai.
Proton therapy is a highly precise form of radiological cancer treatment.
“We have decided to bring this machine to Assam at a cost of Rs 500 crore,” the chief minister said, adding that its installation would significantly strengthen the state’s cancer care infrastructure.
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The machine will be installed at the State Cancer Institute at Gauhati Medical College Hospital.
Sarma said the facility is expected to boost medical tourism in the state, as patients from across the country are likely to seek treatment in Assam once the service becomes available.
“Till now, patients from Assam had to travel outside the state for such advanced treatment. With the arrival of the proton therapy machine, cancer patients from across India will come here,” he said.
Sarma said the state government has been steadily upgrading cancer treatment facilities by introducing modern radiological equipment.
He added that the government had planned to set up 17 cancer hospitals across Assam, of which nine are already operational.
