Assam Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday launched the Digital Information Nerve Centre at the State Cancer Institute (SCI) here.
The centre will link the cancer care set-ups of the State with cancer hospitals of the Tatas in Mumbai and Kolkata. The centre was inaugurated in the presence of Tata Trusts chairman Ratan Tata.
“Through this initiative, the doctors will be able to discuss cases of patients with those from the Tata hospitals in Mumbai and Kolkata. In many cases, patients will no longer require to travel outside Assam,” Sarma told reporters.
This initiative, according to the minister, will help patients to access healthcare facilities at doorstep and enable them virtual linkage with experts from across India for consultation and treatment planning.
“This is an important step in the State government’s vision to use technology in democratizing access to cancer care,” he said.
The State government and Tata Trusts have proposed to develop 19 cancer care centres across the State.