HON’BLE CHIEF MINISTER’S SPEECH
23-12-2015 / 11-15 A M / KIDWAI MEMORIAL INSTITUTE OF ONCOLOGY,
DR M. H. MARI GOWDA ROAD, BENGALURU.
Shri Pranab Mukherjee Ji,
Hon’ble President of India
Shri Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala Ji,
Hon’ble Governor of Karnataka
Shri H. N. Ananth Kumar,
Hon’ble Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers
Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda
Hon’ble Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare
Mr Justice V. Gopala Gowda,
Hon’ble Judge, Supreme Court of India
Shri U. T. Khader,
Hon’ble Minister for Health and Family Welfare,
Dr Sharanprakash R Patil
Hon’ble Minister for Medical Education,
Dr K. B. Linge Gowda,
Director, Kidwai Institute of Oncology,
Distinguished Guests and Invitees,
Media Friends,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
1.I am indeed honoured to welcome our beloved Rashtrapati-ji on this occasion of laying the foundation stone for the State Cancer Institute and for the inauguration of the Foundation Day Celebrations of Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bengaluru.
2.I take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the Government of India for supporting this Institute to be upgraded as State Cancer Institute by providing a grant of Rs 90 Crore.
3.Our Government is also contributing a matching grant of Rs 30 Crore for this purpose.
4.Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology is a premier Cancer Treatment and Research Institute in our State and has been doing a yeomen service by offering state-of-the-art care to the cancer patients not merely from Karnataka,but also from other States as well.
5.By virtue of its location, the Institute gets more than 20 per cent of the patients from our neighbouring States of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.
6.The Institute registers about 19,000 new cancer patients, every year and more than 2.5 lakh patients visit this Institute for follow-up care.
7.It is sad to note that over two thirds of these cancer cases reporting at cancer centres are at an advanced stage of disease,wherein it may not be possible to provide a cure.
8.These numbers are going to increase tremendously over the coming years and thus, there is an urgent need to plan our resources to combat this disease.
9.The Institute has transformed from a non-discreet cancer hospital to what it is today as a leading Cancer Centre with National and International recognition.
10.Subsequent to declaring this Institute as an Autonomous Body under the Government of Karnataka, the Institute has sailed forward with the dynamic stewardship of it’s Visionary Director Dr Krishna Bhargava and the momentum of progress has been kept up by the successive Directors,who have continued his good work over the years.
11.The vast majority of the patients coming to this hospital are from lower strata of society and find it unaffordable to bear the cost of treatment.
12.Our Government has addressed this problem under Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (Vajapayee Arogyashree Scheme) which offers cashless treatment to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh per patient, who belong to Below Poverty Line.
13.In addition,various other schemes such as Yashaswini,Chief Minister’s Medical Relief fund, separate scheme for treatment for patients belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are also provided.
14.The State Government employees are also covered for cancer treatment under Jyothi Sanjivini Scheme.
15.There is a well known adage Prevention is better than Cure.
16.With this understanding, this Institute has been periodically conducting Cancer Detection Camps mostly in the rural areas of our State to detect cancers in theinitial stages,so that, a curative treatment can be offered.
17.With the knowledge that 80 per cent of cancer are due to life style factors,Cancer Awareness Programmes are conducted by covering Schools, Colleges, Industries and among the general public.
18.The Institute has been keeping pace with the latest developments in cancer diagnosis and treatment and to see that even the poorest of the poor will have access to these facilities.
19.Our Government with the support from the Government of India has taken a major step in upgrading this Institute as a State Cancer Institute, which will provide for the latest and sophisticated equipments mainly for Radiotherapy treatment and Robotic surgery equipment to be available in this Institute for the benefit of poor patients, who otherwise can never have access to these facilities.
20.We have gathered here for this dedicated effort and it is indeed a matter of pride and privilege that we have none other than our beloved Rashtrapati-ji for Laying the Foundation Stone for this purpose.
21.I am sure that this will benefit more than 60,000 new cancer patients and more than two lakh patients, who are suffering from this disease in our State.
22.I have great pride in sharing the fact that this Institute has been recognised as the 5th Best Cancer Hospital in the country based on a national survey as reported in one of the National Magazines “The Week”.It is to be noted that Kidwai Memorial Institute is one of the first State-run Cancer Centres.
23.With the addition of newer facilities, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology has all the necessary infrastructure, equipments and professionally trained and dedicated doctors, Paramedical staff and supportive staff.
24.On this occasion,I request the Hon’ble Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda-ji to consider our request for upgrading this Institute as a National Cancer Institute, which will be one of it’s kind in the southern part of the country.
Thank you one and all !