National Cancer Institute inaugurated in Nagpur

The cancer hospital was envisaged by Fadnavis when he was the chief minister of Maharashtra from 2014 to 2019. Built on 25-acre land, the hospital has 450 beds.

Expressing a sense of deep satisfaction, Fadnavis said, “ The NCI is a very special project for me personally. My father (former MLC Gangadhar Fadnavis) died of cancer when I was only 17 years old, and that has remained deeply etched in my mind.”

Project CEO Shailesh Joglekar, who played an important role in the project, also lost his wife to cancer.

Lauding the work of the institute’s trust, Bhagwat said, “ The NCI has set an example of how society can develop a world-class project with a dedicated team… when it comes to medical help and education, why should the government and administration alone shoulder the challenges? Society can play an important role. The NCI is an example before us,” he said.

“The challenge ahead is to maintain high standards in medical care,” added Bhagwat.

Speaking at the occasion, Gadkari said, “Cancer cases in India are rising while in the United States, through

medical care, there is a gradual decrease in cancer cases. Our endeavour should be to prevent cancer cases.”

While reiterating the Maharashtra government’s commitment to providing best medical care, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said, “After Uttar Pradesh, the highest number of cancer cases are registered in Maharashtra… almost 1.25 lakh cases every year. It is a huge challenge. But with advanced medical treatment, we can help patients recover.”