Decks have been cleared for the construction of the first palliative care hospice in Bihar as the state government gave nod to the proposal by the Mahavir Cancer Sansthan here.
Sansthan's Director Dr Jitendra Kumar Singh said the state has given nod to the MCS for construction of 100-bed palliative care hospice in Hajipur and a two-day national seminar on palliative care would be organised by it (the cancer institute) here on September 27.
The facilities, the largest in india, would be created by the MCS with central financial assistance of Rs three crore to give comfort to a cancer patient writhing in pain in his last stage, Singh said.
It took over 18 months to convince the state government about the project, he said.
Despite escalation of price, "we are keen to commence work once formalities with the Vaishali District Magistrate are complete", Singh said.
The hospice would have doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, anaesthesia experts and counsellors, apart from yoga, meditation, depression, pshychological and rehabilitation centres and a pain clinic.
It would also have alternative medicine centres with treatment facilities in homoeopathy, unani and ayurvedic.
