Abstract
The Cancer Care in Eastern India, especially West Bengal, started evolving a long time back along with a few other centres in India. Some of them were government institutes and the others were NGOs and private hospitals. The last decade however saw a huge boom of many cancer centres—either a part of government hospitals/multispecialty private hospitals or some as standalone comprehensive cancer centres. This article briefly covers the evolution, referring to the Official Websites of the Institutes. References were taken from the Official Websites of the cancer hospitals and also Google search for Cancer Care facilities in Eastern and North East India.
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Calcutta had seen the development of Cancer Care from very early days. Way back in 1950, on 12th January, Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital was inaugurated. It was the brain child of Dr Subodh Mitra, a renowned gynaecologist, who was then working at Chittaranjan Seva Sadan. The Cancer Hospital was built on the adjacent land belonging to ‘Deshbandhu Memorial Trust’ which was the entire residential property of the Freedom Fighter Sri Chittaranjan Das, which he had initially donated for the upliftment of the women of Bengal. Dr Mitra was the 1st Founder Director. Deep X-ray machines and radium were used for radiotherapy and many radical surgeries were performed by eminent surgeons.
In 1957, the Govt of India took over this hospital and the hospital was renamed as ‘Chittaranjan Cancer Research Institute’. 1st Telecobalt of Eastern India was installed here in 1961—which was inaugurated by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The centre excelled in both diagnostic and treatment facilities, with pathologists like Dr Rebati Dutta Chowdhury, who first introduced cytology in cancer diagnostics, and Dr Diptendu Mukherjee—a doyen in histopathology.
Radical surgeries were performed by eminent surgeons like Dr Subodh Mitra (who was the proponent of Mitra’s operation for gynaecological cancers), Prof Amiya Kr Sen, Dr Ranesh Chakraborty, Dr K P Das, Dr Santosh Mitra, Dr A B Chandra, Dr A P Majumder (past president of IASO), Dr Nihar Sarkar, Dr Sujit Banerjee, Dr S P Ghosh, Dr Debi Mohan Bhattacharya, and Dr Narayan Sen. Dr M. C. Purakayastha and Dr Saroj Gupta were the Chief Radiotherapists, Dr Harisadhan Dutta—Chief Medical Oncologist—and Dr Arabinda Basu was the Chief Medical Physicist [1].
The Chittaranjan Group of Hospitals was taken over by the Govt of West Bengal in 1974 which later became amalgamated in 1987 as Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI). The 1st Director of this was Dr Jayashree Roychoudhury.
Recently, CNCI has come up with another 500-bedded new campus at Rajarhat, close to the Kolkata Airport.
Meanwhile, in early 1973, Dr Saroj Gupta, then a young radiotherapist, was moved by the plight of cancer patients who failed to get even a bed, not to talk about Cancer Care, as Chittaranjan Cancer Hospital was the only dedicated cancer hospital in the whole of Eastern India starting from Delhi to North East, and there were not enough seats. Dr Saroj Gupta formed a Society with a group of doctors, social workers and philanthropists. His mission was to form a Cancer Centre for the cancer afflicted patients and their families, with special emphasis on the underprivileged people. At Thakurpukur, in the southern fringes of Calcutta, on a piece of marshy land donated by the family of Late Chintaharan Das, CANCER CENTRE & WELFARE HOME was incepted initially to provide a sojourn to the distressed cancer patients who came from remote villages for treatment of cancer. No one ever thought that this little known Thakurpukur would be an internationally known place. The first fund-raising event was a drama staged by a group called Sikha, based on a story written by Dr Saroj Gupta, where he himself enacted the role of a poor cancer patient who was denied a bed in the city hospital. Tears rolled down the cheeks of all those who were present there by the touching fact that there was no place for a little body of him in a big city with tall buildings and big hospitals, although he had traveled all the way from a remote village with a strong desire to live. Many in the audience became a part of the Society and joined hands with Dr Gupta to help him with his fight against cancer.
Over a period of nearly 5 decades, with unimaginable help from all walks of life starting from poorest of the poor and school children to different industrialists and celebrities like Ms Hema Malini, Sri Sunil Gavaskar, Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi, and President Gyani Zail Singh, the 25-bedded home now has become a fully comprehensive, 311-bedded dedicated cancer hospital, now re-named as SAROJ GUPTA CANCER CENTRE & RESEARCH INSTITUTE after the demise of its Founder in 2010 [2]. Set in a wonderful ambience spread on sprawling 16 acres of land with lush green lawns, water bodies, hillocks, amusement park, and toy train, patients get the vital dose of energy and solace in between toxic chemotherapies or painful surgeries. The Institute has kept pace with science and technology, and continuous upgradations have been done. Thus, the latest diagnostic facilities including Modern Pathology and Molecular Biology Laboratories, PET CT scan, MRI, and Nuclear Medicine Departments are all in place and run by doctors of repute and years of experience.
The radiotherapy department started with a Telecobalt Teletherapy in 1981, inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi. The Institute was one of the firsts to install HDR Brachytherapy way back in 1984. The department now has 2 Telecobalt Machines and 2 high-end linear accelerator machines.
Many complicated cancer surgeries had been happening with many eminent surgeons on board since the inception. The basic operation theatres are now replaced by State of the Art Modular Operation Theatres with all modern gadgets including ultrasonic vessel sealers, CUSA, LASER, HD laparoscopic instruments, and operating microscope.
Four-bedded State of the Art Bone Marrow Transplant was inaugurated in August 2012 by Dadasaheb Phalke award winner Sri Saumitra Chatterjee.
All these facilities are available at prices affordable to all classes of people along with free OPD, free palliative care home care, and also sometimes free treatment especially for the children.
The centre has been having strong academic programs with DNB in radiotherapy and surgical oncology, paramedical courses in pathology, radiology, radiotherapy, and OT technician.
The research department has been actively involved in several basic researches, and has many original publications in peer-reviewed journals. The centre has been actively involved in Cancer Registries like HBCR and PBCR. This not-for-profit institute is a recipient of many national and international acclaims and is recognized by WHO and a member of UICC, the International Organization against Cancer.
Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata
About Tata Medical Center
Cancer Hospital and Research Centre
Conceptualized in the year 2004 as a philanthropic initiative for the Eastern and North-eastern parts of India and the neighbouring countries, the Tata Medical Center (TMC) was inaugurated on May 16, 2011, by Ratan Tata. It is located on 13 acres of land at New Town in Kolkata, West Bengal. The hospital is governed by a charitable trust — Tata Medical Center Trust, established in the year 2005. It is a philanthropic initiative aimed specifically at helping cancer patients from the east and northeast of India and also from Bangladesh. The centre is led by its director Dr Mammen Chandy [3].
It has got modern diagnostic and treatment facilities along with an active research department. Currently 400 + beds are functional.
Phase 2 of the hospital was made functional from 14th February 2019.
Radiotherapy facilities in West Bengal:
District | City | Centre | Govt (G)/ NonGovt(NG) | Linac | Cobalt | Brachytherapy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kolkata | Kolkata | 1. AMRI | NG | Y | N | Y |
2. Apollo Gleneagles | NG | Y | N | Y | ||
3. Barasat Cancer Centre | NG | N | Y | N | ||
4. CNCI | G | Y | Y | Y | ||
5. Command Hospital | G | N | N | Y | ||
6. HCG- Eko Cancer Centre | NG | Y | N | N | ||
7. IPGMER | G | N | Y | Y | ||
8.Medella Cancer Hospital | NG | Y | N | N | ||
9. Medical College Hospital | G | Y | Y | N | ||
10. Narayan Hrudalaya (NH) | NG | Y | N | N | ||
11. Netaji Subhas Cancer R Inst | NG | Y | N | Y | ||
12. NRS Medical College | G | Y | Y | Y | ||
13. R G Kar Medical College | G | Y | Y | Y | ||
14. Ruby Cancer Centre | NG | Y | N | Y | ||
15. Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre (SGCCRI), Thakurpukur | NG | Y | Y | Y | ||
16. Tata Medical Centre | NG | Y | N | Y | ||
East Burdwan | Burdwan | 17.Burdwan Medical College | G | N | Y | Y |
West Midnapore | Durgapur | 18.Mohonananda Cancer Hospital | NG | Y | N | N |
Bankura | Bankura | 19.Bankura Sammilani Medical College Hospital | G | N | Y | N |
Midnapore | Midnapore | 20.Midnapore Medical College | G | Y | N | N |
Murshidabad | Berhampore | 21.Murshidabad Medical College | G | N | N | Y |
Cooch Behar | Cooch Behar | 22.Cooch Behar Cancer Centre | NG | N | Y | N |
Malda | Malda | 23.Malda Medical College Hospital | G | Y | N | N |
Darjeeling | Siliguri | 24.Medica Cancer Hospital | NG | Y | N | N |
25.North Bengal Medical College | G | N | Y | N |
Other Cancer Hospitals in Eastern and North East India
Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) was set up by a voluntary organization called ‘Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Society Trust’. Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah (4th September 1893–25th September 1956) was a great physician, freedom fighter, and philanthropist of Assam. In 1958 at a public meeting in Guwahati, a decision was taken to set up a cancer hospital at Guwahati to commemorate the memory of Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah. Late Debendra Nath Sarma was the Founder President and Late Dr. Kanak Chandra Borooah, illustrious brother of Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah, was the Founder Secretary. Late Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Mahendra Mohan Choudhury, Bishnuram Medhi, Dr. Ghanashyam Das, Dr Birendra Nath Choudhury, and many others worked relentlessly for the development of the Institute since its inception.
Dr Bhubaneswar Borooah
The Institute was formally inaugurated on 18th November 1973 and became operational from 1974. The Institute was recognized as Regional Cancer Centre by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India in the year 1980. On 6th of August 1986, the Institute was handed over to the Government of Assam by the B Borooah Cancer Society Trust retaining its autonomy. The First Tripartite Agreement for revitalization of the Institute involving the North Eastern Council, Government of Assam, and the Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India became operational from November 1989. This tripartite arrangement for funding and management of the Institute continued till 2017. On the request of the then Chief Minister of Assam Shri Tarun Gogoi and the present Chief Minister of Assam Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, the Cabinet Committee on Security under the Chairmanship of the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi on 7th of June 2017 approved taking over of Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute, Guwahati by Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India as Grant-in-Aid Institute and as a unit of Tata Memorial Centre (Mumbai). The Institute was formally taken over by Department of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India on 27th November 2017 as a unit of Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai.
The Institute is located at Gopinath Nagar, Guwahati, Assam, in a plot of land covering an area of 14.2 acres (43 bighas). About 12,000 new and 80,000 old cancer patients visit the Institute every year. It is a 230-bedded hospital at present. There are 100-bedded (general) and one 27-bedded executive guesthouses for patients and relatives inside the hospital premises. The Institute also has residential campus for the employees. The Institute has started private OPD from 1st January 2017 [4].
Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre
Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, located in the outskirts of Silchar in the Barak Valley of Assam, began with the vision and dream of a group of citizens from the Valley with varying professional backgrounds. They came together to set up a Cancer Care facility, a desperately felt need, several of them having experienced cancer at close quarters. The nearest facility then was in Guwahati, more than 15 h by road.
The Cachar Cancer Hospital Society was formed in 1992 with three principal objectives of creating awareness and promoting prevention, establishing a cancer hospital and a research centre. The Society is a non-profit NGO registered under the Societies Registration Act.
Public philanthropy helped in the construction of the Cachar Cancer Hospital & Research Centre on the land (11 bigha) allotted by the Government of Assam. The foundation stone of the hospital was laid by the late Mr. Hiteshwar Saikia, the then Chief Minister of Assam. The hospital was inaugurated on February 10, 1996.
The first formally trained oncologist, Dr Ravi Kannan, came on board in 2007. Steadily, the services of the hospital increased. The hospital developed the departments of surgical, radiation, and medical oncology since 2007. The laboratory services were established in 2007 with a one-time grant from the Government of Assam with facilities for automated biochemistry, haematology and frozen section, and conventional histopathology. A basic sciences diagnostic cum research laboratory was established in 2010 with a project grant from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Brachytherapy began in 2011.
It has 140 beds and sees over 4000 new patients and over 25,000 follow up visits of patients in a year. Patients come from Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Dima Hasao districts and other parts of Assam and from Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, other parts of India, and from Bangladesh. Nearly 80% of them are daily wage labourers, agricultural, and tea garden workers. Nearly 75% of them are treated for free or at subsidized charges. In addition to low or no cost treatment, boarding, and lodging, the hospital implements a variety of pro poor measures to ensure that patients access, accept, and complete treatment [5].
Comprehensive cancer hospitals in Orissa:
-
Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Centre, Cuttack (Govt)
-
Panda HCG Cancer Hospital, Cuttack (Private)
-
AIIMS, Bhubaneswar (Govt)
-
Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneswar (Private)
-
IMS SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar (Private)
-
Utkal Hospital, Neeladevi Vihar, Bhubaneswar (Private)
-
VSS Medical College, Burla (Govt)
-
MKCG Medical College, Berhampur (Govt)
-
Carcinova Oncology, Cuttack (Private)
Upcoming cancer hospitals in Odhisa:
-
Shankara Bagchi Cancer Hospital, Bhubaneswar
-
Government initiative for radiotherapy centres in Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Bargah, Koraput, Balasore, Baripada, Bolangir, Bhubaneswar, Angul.
Cancer hospitals in Bihar:
-
State Cancer Institute, Patna
-
Mahavir Cancer Sansthan & Research Centre, Patna
-
Paras HMRI Hospital, Patna
-
Savera Cancer & Multispecialty Hospital, Patna
-
Magadh Cancer Foundation, Patna
-
Medipark Hospital, Patna
-
Shrinivas Hospital, Patna
Cancer hospitals in Jharkhand:
-
Meherbhai Tata Memorial Hospital, Jamshedpur
-
RJSP Cancer Hospital & Research, Rehab Centre, Ranchi
-
HCG Abdur Razzaque Ansari Cancer Hospital, Irba
-
Ranchi Cancer Hospital, Ranchi
-
Medica Oncology Hospital, Ranchi
Change history
22 September 2022
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13193-022-01650-3
References
Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute. https://www.cnci.ac.in. Accessed 10 June 2022
Saroj Gupta Cancer Centre & Research Institute: best cancer. https://sgccri.org. Accessed 10 June 2022
B Barooah Cancer Institute. https://www.bbcionline.org. Accessed 10 June 2022
Tata Medical Center – Cancer Hospital & Research Center. http://www.tmckolkata.com. Accessed 10 June 2022
Cachar Can cer Centre. https://www.cacharcancercentre.org. Accessed 10 June 2022
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Prof K S Gopinath for giving me the opportunity to write about the history of development of Cancer Care facilities in Eastern India post-Independence. As desired, details are given about the oldest hospitals in this area, which had been the main referral centres for decades. I would also like to thank Dr Ravi Kannan and his wife Ms Seeta for sharing the history of Cachar Cancer Centre, Dr Praful Das for sharing the summary of Cancer Care facilities in Odhisa, and Dr Abhisekh Basu and Dr Jyotirup Goswami for sharing the summary of radiotherapy facilities available in West Bengal. Reference has been taken from the Official Websites of the other facilities in East and North East India, especially the ones with radiation oncology and/or postgraduate teaching facilities in oncology.
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Cachar Cancer Hospital
Informations about other hospitals were taken by Google search for Cancer Hospitals in West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and North East India.
The original version of this article was revised. The first paragraph of the body text is now corrected.
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Gupta, A. Cancer Care—Post-Independence Evolution in West Bengal and Eastern India. Indian J Surg Oncol 13 (Suppl 1), 70–75 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13193-022-01603-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13193-022-01603-w