The projected incidence of cancer in Bengal for 2025 is 1.21 lakh cases but the state has barely 2,000 beds in government and private hospitals to treat cancer patients, said officials in the state health department and private hospitals.
Doctors and hospital officials said Bengal needs more infrastructure and facilities for cancer treatment so patients don't have to go to south India, Mumbai or Delhi for treatment. However, they pointed out, offering treatment at an affordable rate is also important.
Figures released by the ICMR-National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research say 1.08 lakh new cancer cases were reported in Bengal in 2020. The projected incidence of cancer in the state for 2025 is 1.21 lakh cases.
Several private hospitals in Kolkata are now focusing on dedicated oncology centres to cater to the increasing number of patients.
Medica Superspecialty Hospital on Thursday launched its cancer care facility. Medica Cancer Hospital, a 10-storey building on the existing campus of the hospital off EM Bypass, has 135 beds. The bed count can go up to 200.
The Rs 250-crore project will have facilities like immunotherapy and robotic surgery.
“People have to run from one place to another for cancer treatment," chief minister Mamata Banerjee said while inaugurating the facility virtually from Nabanna.
Nandakumar Jayram, chairman, Medica Group of Hospitals, said the new facility aims to provide two crucial things in cancer treatment.
“We are providing world-class infrastructure and well-trained doctors. Most of our doctors are trained at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. These two reasons will make cancer patients come here,” said Jayram.
He said that to make the treatment affordable, they would admit patients under the Swasthya Sathi scheme, too.
Mayor Firhad Hakim, who was present at the programme, said: "Medica will have a Swasthya Sathi ward."
Other hospitals, too, are coming up with dedicated cancer care units.
The Narayana Health group is planning to set up another 250 beds under Narayana Health Cancer Institute.
The group’s Narayana Superspeciality Hospital in Howrah currently has 250 beds for cancer treatment. “We are adding 150 beds at the Howrah hospital. Those will be operational from December 2023,” said R. Venkatesh, group COO, Narayana Health.
The remaining 100 beds, to be operational by January 2024, will be set up at the RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences.
“The cancer institute will have organ-specific surgical oncology services aided by the latest da vinci Gen X robot and high energy Linear Accelerator,” said Venkatesh. The group is spending Rs 200 crore on cancer treatment facilities.
According to Venkatesh, fewer patients from Bengal are now going to other states for treatment for cardiology or neurology problems.
“Now, hospitals are focusing on oncology care because that is where there is a huge gap," he said. “Some of the challenges are high investment as one robot costs Rs 10 crore, attracting clinical talent in eastern India and difficulty in finding specialists for maintaining organ-specific care," he said.
Early detection and screening programme are also a challenge because these are not financially rewarding for a private institute.
P. Arun, director of Tata Medical Center, New Town, said: “Bengal needs infrastructure for cancer care. Every year we are observing a 5 per cent growth in patients both at the OPD as well as for surgery."
The hospital has 438 beds and there is no space for expansion, he said.
Surgical oncologist Gautam Mukhopadhyay said cost of treatment is a big factor for patients going to other states. “Cancer is costly and needs long-term treatment. The hospitals will have to make the treatment affordable for all categories of patients. There should be scope for reducing cost wherever possible,” he said.
The Apollo group is also planning expansion of cancer treatment. Apollo Mulitspeciality Hospital, off EM Bypass, has a cancer hospital with 102 beds.
“We are going for a new hospital on the southern fringes where cancer will be one of the main focus areas," said Rana Dasgupta, CEO, eastern region, Apollo Hospitals group.
Ruby General Hospital is planning to expand its cancer facility. “We will be adding 150 beds," said Subhasish Datta, chief general manager, Ruby General Hospital.
Peerless Hospital is spending Rs 400 crore to set up a 150-bed cancer care unit.