Assam signs Rs 600 crore deal for state-run proton therapy centre
The facility in Guwahati will be India's first proton beam therapy centre established by a state government.
The Government of Assam signed an agreement with IBA Particle Therapy India Pvt. Ltd. to establish a Proton Beam Therapy Centre in Guwahati, according to the Economic Times. The deal was signed at Lok Sewa Bhawan in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The project involves an investment of approximately Rs 600 crore, with Rs 315 crore coming from the World Bank and Rs 285 crore from the State Government. Chief Minister Sarma stated that the facility will take at least three years to set up.
The technology uses proton beams to target tumours with precision while protecting nearby healthy tissue from radiation. Sarma noted that this is particularly beneficial for children and for treating cancers of the brain, spine, eyes, head, neck, oesophagus, lung, liver, and breast.
The centre will use the ProteusONE system and is being implemented through the Assam State Secondary Healthcare Initiative for Service Delivery Transformation. This project falls under the Assam Health Infrastructure Development and Management Society.
Under the agreement, IBA will provide specialised training to doctors, medical physicists, and technicians. The state has also approached the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai to assist with the practical training of medical personnel.
The initiative is part of a larger network involving 17 cancer hospitals being established across Assam. Currently, 12 of these hospitals are functional, including the State Cancer Institute in Guwahati.