T Harish Rao, G Kishan Reddy open new oncology block at MNJ hosp

Hyderabad : With the new facility of a 300-bedded hospital coming up at Nampally, the MNJ Cancer Hospital now becomes the second biggest cancer hospital in the country in the public sector with 750 beds with different specialities and a paediatric oncology wing.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and State Health Minister T Harish Rao on Sunday inaugurated the new oncology block at MNJ Cancer Institute. Speaking on the occasion, Harish Rao thanked Aurobindo Pharma, which had spent Rs 80 Crore for constructing the building and handing it over to the government, which has provided all the facilities including equipments at the hospital with Rs 60 Crore.

The hospital has different specialities including a special women's wing and a paediatric wing. It also has a teacher and a librarian so that the education of children who take treatment in the paediatric wing would not get affected.

It also has a special ward for bone marrow cancer treatment. The bone marrow treatment is presently available in NIMS and MNJ Hospitals. At a time 22 patients can be treated in both these hospitals. It would provide medicines free of cost for the entire life of the patients under the Aarogyasri scheme. The minister informed that since the formation of Telangana, the government spent Rs 800 Crore under Arogyasri cancer treatment and during the previous year Rs 137 crores were spent only on cancer patients. Soon, chemotherapy and radiotherapy would be available in districts for cancer patients.

Harish Rao alleged that previous governments had neglected healthcare and did not provide health services to the growing population. He said that the government was striving for 10,000 super speciality beds in the State within one year by starting four super speciality hospitals in four corners of the city in the name of TIMS (Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences) and also a health city in Warangal.

He also said that Telangana would have 55 medical colleges this year, up from 20 in 2014. The government started 35 new medical colleges in nine years. He congratulated prominent doctors Addanki Sarath and filmmaker Sunita, who came forward to manage the sanitation and security of the hospital.

Aurobindo Pharma Foundation CMD K Nityananda Reddy said that the handing over of the oncology block to the government was a testament to the commitment to supporting infrastructure development in the public health domain to aid the needy. "This is a major milestone in our journey as a healthcare organisation to provide proper medical care and treatment for underprivileged patients," said Reddy.

Nampally MLA Zafar Hussain, MLC Prabhakar, TSMSIDC (Telangana State Medical Services Infrastructure Development Corporation) Chairman, Errolla Srinivas and others were also present.