West Delhi gets first cancer hospital

West Delhi gets a state-of-the-art cancer hospital — a first in comprehensive cancer care in an area that does not have many names to boast of when it comes to specialised healthcare.

West Delhi gets a state-of-the-art cancer hospital — a first in comprehensive cancer care in an area that does not have many names to boast of when it comes to specialised healthcare.

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President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Friday inaugurated Paschim Vihar-located Sri Balaji Action Hospital’s cancer wing. Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit was the chief guest on the occasion, which saw the 150-bedded hospital being opened to the public.

Preferring to call it a Non-Government Organisation (NGO), the Manav Sevarth Trust, which owns the hospital, aims at serving the poor and needy. “We believe no poor man should be deprived of treatment just because he can’t pay,” said Raj Kumar Gupta, secretary, Manav Sevarth Trust.

Spread across an area of 2.5 acres of land, the full-fledged multi-disciplinary hospital is equipped to handle all cancerous cases.

The hospital has a 46-bed day care facility and the radiation oncology department here has highly-advanced equipment that deliver treatment which usually takes around 30 min in just three minutes.

The hospital will keep 15 per cent beds blocked for those who cannot afford treatment.

Also, according to need, the cost of treatment may be subsidised.

“It’s hard on most families to have a cancer case because of the exorbitant cost of treatment involved. No profit, no loss initiatives like these provide hope to people who can’t afford expenses the disease demands,” said President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.