DAE-TMC Inaugurates Vidisha Day-Care Cancer Facility as Part of National Expansion
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurated a day-care cancer facility at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government Medical College, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, with technical support from Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). This initiative addresses India's rising cancer burden, with projections indicating approximately 20 lakh new cases annually by 2030, necessitating expansion of cancer-care facilities beyond major metropolitan centers.
The Vidisha programme represents a comprehensive, phased approach to cancer care development. It began with a Cancer Gap Care Analysis conducted by a multidisciplinary team of TMC specialists from June 5 to 7, 2026, followed by a large-scale screening camp that identified 586 confirmed cancer patients and 254 suspected cases, with arrangements made for appropriate treatment and referral.
Comprehensive Cancer Care Development Plan
TMC has provided a structured action plan covering multiple components: equipment and drug procurement, medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiotherapy, pathology, community outreach, cancer registries, and palliative care. For manpower development, two doctors from the Medicine Department and seven nursing officers from Vidisha have completed dedicated oncology training at ACTREC, Mumbai, with surgical staff training scheduled to commence shortly.
Radiotherapy infrastructure development includes plans for a Linear Accelerator (LINAC) facility to be commissioned within the next two to three years, providing advanced radiation treatment access to patients from Vidisha and surrounding districts. Pathology services are being strengthened through comprehensive lists of Immunohistochemistry and molecular markers required for accurate cancer diagnosis, with pathology personnel preparing for specialized training at TMC Mumbai.
Prevention, Data Collection, and Palliative Care
The programme emphasizes cancer prevention and early detection through establishment of a center of excellence for cancer prevention, training healthcare workers in evidence-based strategies, and implementing both Population-Based Cancer Registry (PBCR) and Hospital-Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) to generate local data on cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis, and treatment outcomes. Dedicated palliative-care services are also being developed with structured training in palliative medicine for medical personnel.
National Context and Institutional Network
This initiative fits within DAE-TMC's broader national cancer-care network, which currently spans 11 hospital/institutional units across seven states including Mumbai, Kharghar-New Mumbai, Punjab, Varanasi, Visakhapatnam, Muzaffarpur, and Guwahati. The National Cancer Grid supports this effort as a collaborative network of more than 380 cancer centers, research organizations, and professional bodies working on quality improvement, standardization, manpower training, and cancer research.
The objective is to create a decentralized, accessible cancer-care system where established centers support regional institutions, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for diagnosis and treatment. Similar capacity-building efforts are underway at other institutions including Government Medical College, Kathua.