Technology
12h ago
Assam Signs MoU for India's 1st Public Proton Beam Therapy Centre
Assam has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Belgium-based IBA to bring a proton beam therapy machine to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Saturday. The facility will be the first of its kind in India's public healthcare system. The machine is estimated to cost Rs 600 crore and is expected to be installed within the next three years. CM Sarma said the project marks a major expansion of advanced cancer treatment infrastructure in the country, and that proton beam therapy is among the most advanced forms of radiation-based cancer care. Sharing the development on X, the Chief Minister said Assam had achieved a series of firsts. "I am extremely proud to share that Assam has signed the MoU to set up India's first Proton Beam Therapy centre in the public health sector at a cost of Rs 600 cr," Sarma wrote. He described it as Assam's first, the Northeast's first and India's first. He pointed out that the treatment has so far remained out of reach for most patients. "Until now, proton beam therapy, one of the world's most advanced cancer treatments, has been available only in private hospitals in India, at costs of up to Rs 50 lakh. Assam seeks to change that today," he wrote. Explaining why the technology matters, he added, "This advanced technology attacks tumours with pinpoint precision while sparing healthy tissues. For suitable patients, particularly children, that can make a significant difference." CM Sarma said the state would keep track of developments in advanced medical technology and make sure patients can get the treatment at affordable rates. The arrangement, he said, would involve minimal capital expenditure for the state, which would help the government keep the cost of treatment relatively low. The Chief Minister noted that cancer care in Assam was already affordable. Several treatments, he said, are covered under the health insurance cover of up to Rs 5 lakh provided through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY). He also spoke of the state's wider push in cancer care. "With 17 cancer hospitals rising across the state, 12 of them being functional, a community-level constant outreach programme and consistent investments in human capital and infrastructure, our ambition is clear: Assam will be a global centre for cancer care," he wrote. The new facility is also expected to strengthen Assam's standing as an emerging medical tourism destination in the Northeast. According to Assam CM , patients from neighbouring Bhutan and Bangladesh, as well as from North Bengal and other parts of the Northeast, are increasingly travelling to Assam for treatment. With the machine in place, patients in the region would be able to access advanced cancer care without having to go to other parts of the country or abroad. Proton beam therapy uses proton particles to target cancer cells. Conventional radiation therapy uses X-rays, whereas proton therapy can deliver radiation more precisely to tumours while limiting exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue. This can be especially useful in treating cancers where it is important to minimise damage to nearby organs.
