Balaji Institute of Oncology to come up at SVIMS

Tirupati: The SVIMS Oncology centre will soon be upgraded as 'Balaji Institute of Oncology' (BIO) with a goal to provide a single stop for patients for cancer care. This is in line with the government's initiative towards setting up of three regional cancer centres in the State at Tirupati, Guntur and Visakhapatnam.

After the preliminary rounds of presentations by the heads of surgical, medical and radiation oncology departments to Dr Nori Dattathreyudu recently, the State government has given its nod to accord International Cancer Care centre status to SVIMS oncology centre.

Accordingly, the 100-bed SVIMS Oncology wing which has attended to the needs of surgical, medical and radiation oncology patients for the past 15 years will be upgraded to regional level as a 300-bed institute at a cost of Rs 100 crore. Though, Tata Cancer hospital (SVICCAR) is also there in the city, it was felt that it will not have an academic wing and is confined to service only. Instead, SVIMS which is offering the super speciality courses also in oncology can fill this gap and take up advanced research also and it was agreed in principle by the Chief Minister.

Now, the comprehensive proposal is under consideration of the government to take decisions on funding sources and other issues. Whether the funding is to be done by the government or TTD or will rely on corporate social responsibility funds has to be decided.

It was learnt that the two other regional cancer care centres will be set up at NRI hospital in Guntur and in association with Tata Trusts at Visakhapatnam. The move to develop three regional cancer care centres assumes significance as cancer has emerged as a major public health challenge and one of the leading causes of deaths.

Explaining the salient features of the proposal, SVIMS Director-cum-Vice Chancellor Dr B Vengamma told The Hans India that the Department of Radiation Oncology has asked for cyber knife and intra operative radiotherapy while the department of medical oncology would need bone marrow transplantation unit. The department of surgical oncology needs robotic surgery equipment.

Also, palliative care was not there at SVIMS now. As these procedures are not there in SVIMS now, the patients are being sent outside to avail the treatments. Further, there is a need to expand the outreach activities too and dedicated staff members for all these facilities among other things are required. All these facilities will be available once the Balaji Institute of Oncology comes into existence. The idea was to set up the new Institute at Sri Padmavathi Medical College Hospital (SPMCH-W) for Women where some construction activities are going on at one block. Once this is completed, the entire oncology wing will be shifted there and already the OP services in oncology were being provided on the first floor of SPMCH-W.