The central government has decided to set up a first-of-its-kind National Institute for Cancer in Chennai, said Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss here on April 12. "The Rs.5 billion ($125.2 million) institute will have research, service and education activities and will be the first-of-its-kind in India," he told reporters on the sidelines of a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) seminar.

The institute will come up on 10 acres. This will be the second cancer institute in Chennai. The first one, Adyar Cancer Institute, was set up in 1954.

Asked about the status of the Rs.4 billion vaccine and medical equipment park at Chengalpattu near here, Ramdoss said the preparatory work had started.

He added that 75 percent of the equipment made in the park would be sold in India, which in turn would bring down healthcare costs.

Rejecting reports that the government closed down the BCG Vaccine Laboratory here, he said the unit did not comply with World Health Organisation's good manufacturing practice (GMP) and hence production was stopped.

"We are yet to decide on the usage of the unsold stock," Ramdoss added. The government had also stopped manufacture of vaccines at the Pasteur Institute of India, Coonoor, and at the Central Research Institute, Kasauli, for similar reasons.

Ramdoss added that the government was studying the Sambasiva Rao committee report on compulsory rural service of doctors and a decision in this regard would be taken shortly.

Earlier, speaking at the Tamil Nadu Vision Summit organised by the state CII, Ramdoss said the government, as part of its plans for developing human resource for the health sector for the next four decades, has decided to change the norms for starting medical colleges with a view to increase their number.

"District hospitals with 300 beds will be permitted to start a medical college even at a nearby place," he said.

Expressing satisfaction over the progress of the National Rural Health Mission, Ramdoss said the ministry would spend Rs.120 billion on the project out of the total budget of Rs.160 billion.

"A one percent reduction in the infant mortality rate across the country would happen only when millions of people involved in the healthcare delivery take the correct message across the nation," he said.

Source : (IANS)