$4.1 Million Radiotherapy Facility in India to Benefit 15.4 Million People Across Saurashtra

Summary:
India has inaugurated a ₹39 crore ($4.1 million) advanced radiotherapy centre at AIIMS Rajkot in Gujarat, equipped to treat various cancers, including gynaecological, head and neck cancers and sarcomas. The facility is expected to provide specialised cancer care to around 15.4 million people across 11 districts of Saurashtra, offering free treatment to eligible Ayushman Bharat beneficiaries and subsidised services to other patients. The development adds to India’s expanding healthcare network, which now includes 18 operational AIIMS institutions out of 22 approved. 

India has opened a state-of-the-art radiotherapy centre worth $4.1 million (₹39 crore) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rajkot, in Gujarat.

The facility is equipped with a high-energy linear accelerator, a wide-bore CT simulator and a high-dose-rate brachytherapy system.

The brachytherapy facility will provide treatment for various cancers, including gynaecological, head and neck cancers, sarcomas and other tumours.

The centre is expected to cater to approximately 15.4 million residents across 11 districts of Saurashtra, namely Rajkot, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Porbandar, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Morbi, Surendranagar, Gir Somnath, Devbhumi Dwarka and Botad.

Patients eligible under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) will receive treatment at no cost, while other patients will have access to services at reduced rates.

India currently has 18 functioning AIIMS institutions out of the 22 sanctioned, compared with just one previously located in New Delhi.