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Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa has requested the Prime Minister to confer national status on the Cancer Institute at Adyar, here, as a centre of excellence.
In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said, "I recommend that the Cancer Institute, Adyar, one of the oldest NGO-run cancer hospitals in the country be conferred with national status as a Centre of Excellence, particularly when it has been rated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the top ranking centre in the country."
The institute has applied for upgradation during the 12th Five Year Plan, as a 'Centre of Excellence - an Autonomous National Cancer Research Institute' for treatment of cancer and the proposal is pending with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
"The government of India has so far provided meagre support to this institute through the Tertiary Cancer Centre scheme under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardio-vascular Diseases and Stroke by way of a grant of Rs 4.80 crore for equipment purchased in the year 2011-12," she added. The state government had released Rs 1.20 crore as its share.
