PGIMER, TATA Memorial Centre to collaborate on Paediatrics Oncology

Chandigarh: 25 acres of land has been offered by the UT Administration for the proposed paediatric oncology center, expected to come up in the city with the help of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research,(PGIMER) Chandigarh, and the Mumbai-based Tata Memorial Centre (TMC).

The land offer details have appeared in the minutes of the meeting held under the Chairmanship of UT Administrator and Punjab, Governor, V P Singh Badnore. The meeting was attended by TMC, Director Dr. R A Badwe and Heads of medical institutions of the city.

The November 29, 2017, meeting held last year had the Punjab Governor, Badnore asking the doctors, whether any “stand-alone oncology facility” could be developed in the region for children.

While the land offer came from Badnore at the meeting, it remained unclear as to who would fund the project and whether the reins of the upcoming facility would be controlled by PGIMER or the UT Administration.

Badwe, who attended the meeting, spoke about improving cancer services at institutions like PGIMER and Government Medical College and Hospital.

According to sources, Badwe revealed a facility for pediatric patients could be created encompassing all the three major components of paediatrics, oncology (radiation therapy, blood cancer and sold a tumour).”

At the meeting, the Punjab Governor was told that no similar facility was available in the country, and that centers of this kind were only available abroad.

According to the minutes of the meeting, “The Governor desired to create one such center which will look after the needs of citizens of the northern part of the country.” He “also offered to provide 25 acres of land for the said facility. He also requested Dr R A Badwe and the doctors from PGIMER to work on this project,” the minutes revealed.

PGI sources, however, informed that they had yet to receive any communication from the UT Administration regarding the proposal and PGI, Director, Professor, Jagat Ram would be in all probability meet the Governor soon, to discuss the project.

A senior PGI official told Chandigarh Newsline on Wednesday that it might be difficult to sustain the project on their own.

“We already have several projects in the pipeline. It has to be seen whether the Governor asks us to set up this facility with our own funds…if the Chandigarh Administration provides funds for this, then it will be a welcome thing. But it is going to be difficult for the institute to set up this facility with own funds currently when there are so many projects in the pipeline,” he said.