Tata Trust to set up cancer centres in Arunachal

GUWAHATI, Jun 18: The head of Tata Trust, Ratan Naval Tata, has agreed in principle to set up two specialty cancer centres in Arunachal Pradesh.
He also agreed to visit the state soon to finalize the project.
Tata gave the assurance to Chief Minister Pema Khandu during a meeting here on Monday morning. The CM had requested him to set up cancer centres in Arunachal, which is recording a very high rate of cancer cases.
During their meeting, Pema said cancer patients from Arunachal Pradesh have to go all the way to the Tata Memorial Hospital and Cancer Research Institute in Mumbai to get treatment, incurring huge expenditures.
“If such centres come up in Arunachal, it will be of much respite to the people,” the chief minister said. In response, Tata agreed to set up two specialty cancer centres in the state.
Later, the chief minister shared the dais with National BJP president Amit Shah, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Assam Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma, and Tata at the launch of the first-of-its-kind cancer care programme which is being spearheaded by the government of Assam in collaboration with Tata Trust.
Tata Trust is setting up 19 new specialty cancer centres in Assam. The move has the potential to drastically improve cancer care in Assam as well as the entire Northeast region.
After laying the foundation stone for the cancer centres, Shah said such centres should be established in all the Northeastern states.
Pema congratulated the people of Assam on the new development, and expressed hope that the cancer centres would immensely benefit the patients from Arunachal and other parts of the Northeast.
“The massive development in the last couple of years is the result of the optimistic attention of the Centre towards the Northeast through the Act East Policy,” he said.
“Under the guidance and directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National BJP president Amit Shah, the Northeast is witnessing the light of progress in all fields,” he added. (CMO)