Centre approves Kolkata-based cancer institute at Rs.534 crore

Cancer is emerging as a major public health concern in India. Around 11 lakh new cases are diagnosed every year and the mortality rate is 5.5 lakh per year.

India is lagging behind in cancer treatment facilities compared to World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, which require one radiotherapy machine per million people.

India at present has 0.41 machines per million people.

The setting up of the second campus at Rajarhat will be a new chapter in the initiative against cancer, a government official said.

"This approval comes in addition to the National Cancer Institute approved at Jhajjar and the setting up of 20 state cancer institutes and 50 tertiary care cancer centres in different parts of the country," the official added.