Mumbai, Sep 16 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed the Medical Education and Drugs Department to prepare a policy to provide comprehensive cancer services to the people of the state.

At the meeting, he said on Monday that it is necessary to set up cancer treatment centres at various levels for effective treatment of cancer.

The Chief Minister also gave instructions to set up comprehensive cancer treatment services, diagnosis, day care radiotherapy and chemotherapy units in every district.

He said that the incomplete construction of the Sant Tukadoji Maharaj Cancer Hospital building in Nagpur should be completed immediately.

Necessary funds will be sought for this, he added.

CM Fadnavis said that on behalf of Shri Sai Sansthan, an appeal will be made to Sai Sansthan for the construction of a state-of-the-art cancer hospital in Sainagar at Shirdi.

He added that the needy people in the state should get immediate services for which a single cloud command centre should be established out of the three types of treatment centres.

At the same time, patients fighting cancer should be provided with early diagnosis and effective treatment methods.

The Chief Minister’s instruction comes when the state Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar in July said that the state government has proposed to construct two cancer hospitals in Aundh (Pune) and Nashik (Maharashtra) and eight district hospitals across the state to provide treatment to the rising number of patients and cut their expenses on expensive private healthcare services.

Chief Minister Fadnavis said that the health department has submitted the proposal to Asian Development Bank for financial assistance of Rs 8,000 crore.

–IANS

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