Chennai: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, after inaugurating Apollo Hospitals’ Proton Cancer Centre in Chennai, said that cancer is the second leading cause of death in India and has killed more than double the number of people in 2016 than in 1990. Other dignitaries present at the inauguration of South East Asia’s first Proton Therapy Centre, launched by Apollo Hospitals in Taramani, included Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and Apollo Hospitals Group Executive Chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy.

Proton therapy is a specialized form of radiotherapy that is extremely precise and destroys cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy tissue.

The Vice President called for the private sector to reduce their cost of treatment and make healthcare affordable. He said that it is the duty of not just the government but also the private sector to make treatment affordable also in addition to making it accessible.

Naidu said that the problem of expensive healthcare can be overcome by initiating universal healthcare schemes. He added that the Government of India has set a target of increasing health expenditure to 2.5 per cent of the GDP by 2025 to facilitate the healthcare scheme – Ayushman Bharat. It will be covering 10 crore poor and vulnerable families and establish 1.20 lakh health and wellness centres across India.

He added that medical tourism is on the rise and the Proton Cancer Centre in Chennai will cater not only to the local population but also South East Asia.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami highlighted how Tamil Nadu and Chennai, in particular, are at the forefront of all healthcare indices in the country through the various government schemes. He mentioned that the Chief Minister’s comprehensive health insurance policy has benefited 27.73 lakh people. In 2018, the insurance cover per family was raised to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2 lakh.

He further mentioned that Tamil Nadu is a model state in India for cancer treatment with state of the art equipment and methods practiced in government hospitals.

Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam advised people to follow the example set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and practice yoga and exercise to avoid cancer and lead a healthy life. He said that cancer is a disease caused by lifestyle changes, societal changes, and environmental problems and it can be prevented by making changes in our daily life. Preventive measures and right treatment can defeat cancer. He added that at least once a year, people should undergo cancer screening to detect it early and begin treatment.

Apollo Hospitals Group Executive Chairman Dr Prathap C Reddy said that it was a dream come true to launch the Proton Cancer Therapy Centre in Chennai. He remembered Dr Shantha’s contribution in cancer treatment for bringing the first Cancer Institute in India to Chennai. (NT Bureau)