Wockhardt launches 40-bed Cancer Centre

EHM News Bureau

With the purpose of providing cancer care to the patients of Central and Navi Mumbai, Wockhardt Hospitals has come up with a cancer centre in their Mulund-based hospital.

The Centre will initially start off with a 40-bed facility (10 medical & 30 surgical) and a team of 18 doctors, 10 of which will be oncologists. They plan to develop the Centre to a 150-bed facility in future.

The Centre will have a comprehensive team of oncologists, oncosurgeons, radiotherapists and hemato-oncologists. The team will be well supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic, nursing and rehabilitation teams.

Around 15-20 lakh Indians die annually, and the figure is still to go up till 2020. "Fifty two per cent of total oncologists in the world are based in the developed countries. So, with little manpower, it is our responsibility to work hard in fighting against cancer. For this, we want to establish among patients the fact that cancer can be prevented. We will set new benchmarks in cancer treatments," said Vishal Bali, CEO, Wockhardt Hospitals.

According to Dr Kamran Khan, oncologist and a team member of Consultants at the Centre, "Every year 15,000-20,000 cases are registered in Mumbai alone, but this is the figure of diagnosed ones. Much larger can be the number of undiagnosed cases."

"Almost 50-60 per cent of cancer deaths can be prevented just by spreading awareness. We need 10 more such centres in Maharashtra alone," said Dr Ravindra Karanjekar, Head & GM, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai.

The Group is also planning screening camps in and around Mumbai. "We will conduct these camps three times in a month covering areas till Ratnagiri," said Suhas Aradhye, Marketing Head, Wockhardt Hospitals. The Group's primary target will be preventive measures and diagnostic measures will be secondary. Said Dr R Gopal, Oncologist at Wockhardt Hospital, Mulund and Professor at Asian Institute of Oncology, "In times to come, we will also take up research work in drug development, clinical trials etc."