With increased expectations and several inspections, after several days, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is yet to do anything substantial to lay the foundation of the proposed Bhagalpur cancer hospital. His visit to the city for the Khelo India National Games and the opening of the Cancer Day Care Center is a confirmed event, and there is yet no news of the initiation of building the long-awaited facility. The Superspecialty Hospital attached to JLNMCH has a large portion of land that is vacant. However, there are no plans to hold a foundation-laying ceremony by the CM. Local bodies, DM, and medical officers are hopeful; lacking decisive action from Nitish Kumar, the project continues to be in a limbo.
Quickies
Bhagalpur Cancer Hospital is a much awaited project and to the dismay of the locals, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has not yet undertaken any steps to begin its construction even though he plans to attend the Khelo India National Games and open the Cancer Day Care Center. The hospital is proposed to be constructed on 25 acres of land adjacent to the Super Specialty Hospital near JLNMCH with the goal of alleviating the long distance travel burden for cancer patients requiring treatment. CMD Dr. Nawal Kishore Chaudhary along with other district level health officials like Dr. Pankaj Kumar Manswi have confirmed the availability of land and the presence of some basic groundwork but without any tangible steps from the Chief Minister, the scheduled work is stalled on this framework leading to waste at the local level. The CM’s inaction on this hospital gets more and more annoying as every local and authority wants high quality cancer treatment facilities in Bhagalpur and nearby districts.
Proposal of Bhagalpur Cancer Hospital
The Health Department had previously made a big announcement about the opening of a specialty hospital for cancer in Bhagalpur. This long-awaited hospital could help to cope with the increasing demand for quality cancer studies in the area. This initiative was to provide relief to patients from Bhagalpur and adjoining districts who need to travel to Patna, Kolkata, or Delhi for diagnosis. According to the top priority of the department, due to the rising cases of cancer in the state of Bihar.
The proposed Bhagalpur Cancer Hospital is to be constructed close to the Super Specialty Hospital. It is affiliated with Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital (JLNMCH). It is located on Barari Road in Bhagalpur. About 25 acres of such land hitherto vacant around the existing medical infrastructure had been identified for this project. In a pre-emptive move, District Magistrate Dr. Naval Kishore Chaudhary conducted a by-site survey. He took the initiative to ensure that there is availability and viability of land for construction. Trans-local administration has demonstrated great support and preparedness in pushing through with the plan.
District NCD Officer Dr. Pankaj Kumar Manswi confirmed the selection of land. He also reassured that preliminary preparations had already started. He also indicated that the hospital could greatly improve the cancer care accessibility to the people of the region greatly. The project, once undertaken, is likely to bring revolutionary changes to the field of healthcare in Bihar.
