The Tamil Nadu health department on Thursday announced that a state cancer registry would be set up to keep track of the number of cancer cases and two regional cancer care centres at a cost of Rs 30 crores would be set up in Madurai and Coimbatore.
The health minister also said medical administrative cadre would be formed to recruit health officials to streamline the administration in government hospitals.
The objective of the cancer care centres is mainly to curb the rising incidence of cancer.
“The incidence of cancer as a disease has gradually been increasing and it has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality in TN. A state cancer registry will be set up to collect details of all cancer cases and it will be put in place from this year,” health and family welfare minister Dr V. S. Vijay said.
Considering the need for specialised cancer care, the minister also proposed setting up of two regional cancer centres at Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai and Coimbatore Medical College Hospital at the cost of Rs 15 crore each, adding there is only one such exclusive cancer hospital at present in the government sector.
“Several men suffer from oral cancer due to constant tobacco abuse and women are often diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer. These cancer treatment centres will address the needs of cancer patients in southern and western region of the state,” he said, adding a new programme to screen high-risk population for oral cancer and to diagnose it at an early stage will also be launched.