Patients from the economically weaker sections in Jharkhand will get a cashless facility for cancer treatment at Tata Medical Centre-Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Calcutta.

An agreement was signed between the Jharkhand State Arogya Society (an organisation under the state health department) and Tata Medical Centre, Calcutta on Friday during the inauguration of the Ranchi Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, which has been set up by Tata Trusts at Kanke.

"Patients from the economically weaker sections covered under National Food Security Act and residing in Jharkhand will get a cashless facility for treatment of cancer at Tata Medical Centre in Calcutta after this agreement. The state will bear the expense of cancer treatment. This will enable patients to receive world-class treatment for cancer,” Arun Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary (health) of Jharkhand, said.

"Health facilities related to cancer treatment were negligible in this state. Today is a historic and important day for Jharkhand. I wish the Ranchi Cancer Hospital and Research Centre would be recognised as an ideal cancer care institute in the country,” chief minister Hemant Soren said after inaugurating the centre.

Hemant said a large number of cancer patients from Jharkhand used to go to other states or cities for better treatment. "With the collective efforts of the Jharkhand government and Tata Trusts, the day has come when a grand cancer hospital is standing in Ranchi and it will prove to be a milestone for the state,” he added.

The new hospital will be operated under the aegis of the Tata Cancer Care Foundation, which also operates a hospital at Tirupati and an onco-pathology lab in Mumbai. The core aim of the Tata Trusts’ Distributed Cancer Care Model, being implemented through TCCF, is to make cancer treatment accessible and affordable to patients. Tata Trusts has since 2017 been developing and augmenting cancer facilities across six states — Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka.