Shri Ratan Tata, in his welcome address, thanked the Prime Minister for his support, cooperation and vision towards affordable healthcare and cancer research.

Addressing the audience of doctors and students of Tata Memorial Centre via video conferencing, the Prime Minister hailed invaluable contribution of Tata family towards humanitarian services and social responsibilities, particularly in the field of cancer cure, care and research.

The Full text of the Prime Minister’s address on the occasion is extended below –

Mr. Ratan Tata, Dr. R. A. Badve, Director, TMC, the doctors, students and Friends!

On the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee of Tata Memorial Centre I extend my heartiest wishes to all of you.

On this momentous occasion, I feel extremely privileged to unveil the “Platinum Jubilee Milestone Book”. The Tata family has been making invaluable contribution towards social responsibility.

Today it is time to reminisce every person who contributed in the last 75 years to make TMC a name to reckon with in the field of cancer treatment.

While delving deep into the pages of this book, I learnt about an anecdote from the year 1931. Mrs. Meherbai Tata, at the time leaving for America for her cancer treatment had told her husband Mr. Dorabji Tata that- “I am fortunate to get expensive treatment at America, but what will happen to those people of our country who do not have the resources for cancer cure.”

After the demise of Mrs. Meherbai, Mr. Dorabjee kept this in mind, which inspired the foundation of this Tata Memorial Centre.

After 75 years of quality health care service, TMC has established itself as the pioneer in the field of Cancer education, research and cure.

There are very few such institutions which have established credibility by dedicating themselves to the service of the nation by providing affordable healthcare over several decades.

The awe inspiring journey of TMC, which has worked relentlessly to provide state-of-the-art facilities for the treatment of millions of poor, is an exemplar for the rest of the country.

This longstanding service to the nation by TMC is also a testimony to how the country can be a welfare state with Public Private Partnership.

A critical illness like Cancer poses serious challenges to the family and leaves them completely devastated physically, financially, and emotionally. It becomes even tougher for the deprived to deal with the grave situation as their basic needs like food and job takes precedence over getting medicine. Institutions like TMC, are providing commendable service to mankind by relentlessly reducing the trauma of the ailing by providing world class cancer treatment and healing within the means of the underprivileged.

Once again I extend hearty congratulations to Mr. Ratan Tata and his team at TMC on completing a very successful 75 years of service in the health care industry.

Friends, Cancer is one of the major challenges before humanity. Statistics glaringly say that, Cancer is detected in more than one million people every year in our country. Alarmingly, every year about 6 million people are known to succumb to the deadly disease cancer.

International Agency for Research on Cancer has apprehended that these numbers are slated to almost double up in the next two decades. To deal with this situation it is imperative that several organisations like TMC work on a common paradigm of providing state of the art affordable healthcare facility.

In 2014, when our government took charge at the Centre, we found that 36 institutions were a part of this grid. Today these are 108 in number.

Just a few days back, a Digital Cancer Nerve Centre has been established. Virtual Tumour Board is another effort in this field. This body is a virtual platform where specialists will be connected on VC and provide consultancy in developing the treatment plan for a patient.

It has been proposed to seek guidance from the expert team of TMC, to set up four new institutions dedicated to cancer cure and research in Varanasi, Chandigarh, Vishakhapatnam and Guwahati. These centres have been thoughtfully are located  in such cities where the patients will be saved from travelling to receive treatments in time. We are also establishing a National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, Haryana.

Friends! Our government is ensuring, in every which way possible, to arrange affordable and world class health care facilities infrastructure for the underprivileged. With this mission in mind the, we have launched a healthcare policy after a lapse of 15 years. 

Government is making all efforts to bring every citizen in the purview of Preventive and Promotive Health Care System. We intend to invest up to 2.5 % of the GDP in the health care sector. We will also try to integrate variety of disciplines of medicine in the new National Health Policy. For example, we can integrate Ayurveda and Yogic treatment with the Allopathic drugs administered for cancer cure, to deal with other ailments that entail cancer. Every institution can take a step in this direction.

Friends, we still import 70% of our medical equipments. High time we took a call on this. This adds exponentially to the cost of the treatment. The New Health Policy has proposed an ecosystem which will give impetus to the manufacturing industry of medical instruments within the country. Institutions like TMC have a big role to play in this regard. It was due to the valuable contribution of TMC doctors that Bhabha Atomic Research Centre could manufacture indigenous radiation machine called “Bhabhatrone”. I was proud to gift to our own “Bhabhatrone” to Mongolia during my visit two years back. Such landmark achievements have already set the ball rolling for other players in the domain of production of cheap yet standard machines required in the medical field. 

To consolidate the health care system in the country, we are modernising the medical colleges, increasing the intake in the current seats in UG and PG medical education, as well as establishing several new AIIMS across the nation. Public Health Medicine Schemes has been strengthened, and several medicines are now listed as “Essential” drugs. You must have noticed how the cost of stents has now reduced by 85%. Several such decisions have been taken by the government in the direction of providing affordable healthcare.

Friends,

I implore the healthcare practitioners to ensure that the healthcare should remain the domain of service and not commodity. The treatment of an ailing should never be a business for any of us.

We must never forget that no other profession has been given the godly stature. Millions of citizens have faith in you and consider you no less that their God. India carries a tradition of veneration of doctors.

To conclude, I once again congratulate the TMC fraternity on accomplishing such a laudable milestone of   Diamond Jubilee year. I am very honoured to be invited for the unveiling of Milestone book on Tata Memorial Centre and be a part of this jubilation. 

I am indeed grateful to All!

Jai Hind!

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AKT/SS/RSB/AK