Guwahati: Expressing serious concern over the alarming rise of cancer patients in Mizoram, state minister for health Dr R Lalthangliana, while referring to latest Population Based Cancer Registries (PBCR) report, 2016 in Aizawl, said that the increasing rise of cancer cases in state a major cause of concern for the state government.
According to the latest version of PBCR, there were over 4,600 cancer cases were detected in state till 2014. Despite adopting various government policies to tackle the situation, Mizoram still secures the top position with patients suffering from Cancer, the minister said, while addressing a public meeting organised in Aizawl on Wednesday.
Announcing that the state government will establish a specialised cancer hospital with estimated cost of Rs 500 crore keeping the greater interest of the people in the state, the minister further added that a Japanese agency, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), will take the responsibility of completing the project.
According to reports, an average of at least 725 people died every year due to cancer and three people are diagnosed with the deadly disease every day in Mizoram.
It is also reported that the proposed hospital will be set up at the site of the existing cancer hospital at Zemabawk on the eastern outskirts of Aizawl.
The state has already obtained a Rs 482-crore sanction order from North Eastern Council (NEC) for upgrade of Regional Institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences (RIPANS) near the proposed site of cancer specialty hospital.
Keeping the greater interest of the people of the region in mind, we will make the hospital an institution with international standard. If everything goes according to plan, we are also planning to upgrade the existing 300 health sub-centres into health and wellness centres by 2023,” the minister added.
