Assam to get India’s first Public sector Proton Beam Therapy centre, Rs 600 Crore project approved

Assam government has announced an agreement with Ion Beam Applications (IBA), Belgium for setting up a Proton Beam Therapy facility at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati. With the project expected to cost Rs 600 crore, it will bolster cancer-care facilities in the Northeast, and give patients a chance to get advanced cancer treatment without having to travel to other parts of the country.

This facility will be the first Public Proton beam therapy Centre in India. The Assam Cabinet previously had sanctioned Rs 600 crore investment for the ambitious project of healthcare.

The machine is likely to be set up within a President Himanta Biswa Sarma time of three years, and the cost would be around Rs 600 crore, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said addressing the media after the signing of agreement at Lok Sewa Bhawan on Saturday. He termed it as a tremendous achievement for Assam and the health infrastructure system in India.

What Is Proton Beam Therapy?

Proton Beam Therapy is one of the latest technologies available in cancer medicine that utilizes radiation. It is not like standard radiation, which employs X-rays to kill cancer cells; instead it uses protons to destroy cancer cells with minimal impact on the radiation dose to first the healthy tissues around the tumor.

The state government will keep looking into new medical technologies, such as FLASH proton therapy, ion beam treatment etc, and explore their adoption in the future, Sarma said.

Assam Aims to Strengthen Affordable Cancer Treatment

The Assam government has its vision to provide needy patients with advanced cancer treatment at an affordable price, the Chief Minister said. A majority of the treatments are covered under the Rs 5 lakh health insurance cover under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), he added.

Sarma also pointed out that the state is emerging as a medical tourism center, has patients come to Assam for treatment against cancer from Bhutan, Bangladesh and North Bengal among others in the Northeast region.

Later, on X, Sarma spoke up and showed the photo of the signing of the MoU for the establishment of India’s first Proton Beam Therapy Centre in the public healthcare sector at an estimated outlay of Rs 600 crore.