Project for Paediatric Cancer patients at SGCC&RI, Thakurpukur:

10% of all cancers affect the children for reasons still not very clear. 70% of the cancers in this age group is Leukemia (Blood Cancer) of which 70% thankfully get cured if treated properly at the right stage. The expenses for this treatment are high for the cost of chemotherapy which is given over several months. We have been helping them by waiving off the bed charges for AC wards for the whole length of treatment to almost 80% patients, and like most other patients, there is no doctors` fees.

SGCC&RI is the only Institute in Eastern India and one of the very few centres in the world to have a dedicated wing for the Paediatric cancer patients and their parents with 40 beds. It is set up on a small hillock with wonderful ambience complete with amusement park, water bodies, Toy centre, amphitheatre and a real Toy Train which takes the children round every afternoon. These were all conceived to keep the children happy and amused in between their toxic chemotherapies and painful surgeries. Mother Teresa had inaugurated the 1st Paediatric ward in 1991, and the separate dedicated wing was inaugurated by the legendary Cricketer Sri Sunil Gavaskar and Former Chief Minister of West Bengal Sri Jyoti Basu.

Annually more than 200 new paediatric cancer patients are seen and 500 patients are followed up during and after their treatment. We cater to entire Eastern India, North Eastern states and neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan etc.

Further expansions and upgradations:

Paediatric Medical ITU:
Although we have been serving these patients with very good results with the infrastructure we have, the need of the hour is a good Paediatric Medical ITU, so that we don`t lose patients from reversible conditions like chest infections for lack of Paediatric ventilators and other emergency facilities. This has been very heart-breaking on quite a few occasions where a patient who had otherwise become free of the disease with treatment eventually succumbed to such reversible acute medical illnesses. It is even more difficult to console the poor mothers who had put in all their efforts for the sake of their precious child. The dearth of a good well-equipped Paediatric Medical ITU has been felt for quite sometime, especially because the General hospitals are not prepared to treat these delicate paediatric cancer patients.

Total expenses: Rs 42 lakhs (US $90,000)  

for the proposed 6 bedded Critical Care unit complete with ventilators, monitors, infusion pumps etc. The site has been identified on the 2nd floor of the Child Care Centre which will be conveniently located adjacent to the Paediatric ward.

Once these facilities are available, SGCC&RI can then become a centre of Excellence itself and can serve all classes of people with best possible facilities and services at a cost affordable to all classes of people. Main focus would obviously be on the under-privileged people. If required, charges can be further waived off for really needy patients.