<p>Mumbai: As people drive out of of Nagpur, they come across an imposing structure which looks like a space command centre with a tall national tricolour on the front. </p><p>A closer look reveals it as the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which has many boards including one which reads 'cancer-to-cancel’. </p><p>The stakeholders here are known as ‘kark-yoddhas’ (cancer warriors) and caregivers as ‘kark-sevaks’.</p><p>The NCI, a low-cost charitable quaternary care oncology centre, has emerged as the hub of cancer treatment in central India and very soon it would have a research wing with international collaborations.</p><p>The NCI offers free treatment to cancer-affected children.</p><p>“The philosophy is simple…it should not look like hospital...it should not feel like hospital…it should not smell like hospital,” said eminent social worker and educationalist Shailesh Joglekar, the General Secretary and CEO at the NCI-Nagpur. </p><p>Many of those who are involved in running the institute have lost their near and dear ones to cancer.</p><p>The idea of such a setup and administration was conceived by Joglekar, who lost his wife and childhood friend to cancer, and also, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who lost his father and former MLC Gangadharrao Fadnavis to cancer, when he was 17. Joglekar is one of the founders of the Bhonsala Military School, a residential school imparting military education in Nagpur and Nashik. </p><p>Top companies of India figure in the list from where it receives philanthropy and CSR funds, and hence, NCI-Nagpur runs on a charitable model. </p><p>“It is now the first cancer hospital in central India to have over 450 beds. It is the only cancer hospital in central India with a paediatric ward and oncology ICU. Plans are afoot to provide advanced facilities like proton beam and carbon ion therapy treatment at cost-effective rates. NCI will also increase its bed capacity to 750, to make it the largest cancer facility in the country to be run by a charitable trust,” Joglekar told DH.</p><p>Besides Maharashtra, patients come from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Jharkhand and other parts of India. </p><p>Fadnavis and Joglekar took the lead in establishing NCI through the Dr Aabaji Thatte Seva Aur Anusandhan Santha, a trust which is named after Dr Thatte, who had served as a personal assistant and physician to the two successive chiefs of the RSS.</p><p>Eminent senior lawyer Sunil Manohar heads the governing board of the trust. Manohar is son of legal luminary V R Manohar and brother of former BCCI chief Shashank Manohar.</p><p>This facility is spread over 25 acres and has a 470-bed quaternary care oncology centre, having built-up area admeasuring 9.5 lakh sq ft approximately which would be scalable up to 750 beds in the future. </p><p>The hospital building is of 10 levels with around 7 lakh sq ft of built-up area, giving it a gigantic look. </p><p>It is also coming up with a 400-bed residential facility for patients who need longer time for treatment.</p><p>"Battling cancer together is the underlying motive of every individual, process and function at the National Cancer Institute. Each stakeholder in National Cancer Institute mission, be that the patient, the caregiver, the relative or our service associates, will be viewed as a ‘kark-yoddha’. NCI offers a solution to the mutual dilemma of information and support to cancer patients that will prove to be powerful and effective,” said Joglekar. </p><p>“The ‘kark-sevaks’ take ownership in lead management and seek intervention at the right time for the patients’ benefit. To render their services and grow professionally and individually, they are backed by the latest cancer care technology, world-class training, and opportunity to further study and mentorship from best doctors,” he added. </p><p>"A residential complex with area of 72,000 sq ft will be made available on the campus to accommodate accompanying relatives. We also provide transport facilities for our patients."</p>
<p>Mumbai: As people drive out of of Nagpur, they come across an imposing structure which looks like a space command centre with a tall national tricolour on the front. </p><p>A closer look reveals it as the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which has many boards including one which reads 'cancer-to-cancel’. </p><p>The stakeholders here are known as ‘kark-yoddhas’ (cancer warriors) and caregivers as ‘kark-sevaks’.</p><p>The NCI, a low-cost charitable quaternary care oncology centre, has emerged as the hub of cancer treatment in central India and very soon it would have a research wing with international collaborations.</p><p>The NCI offers free treatment to cancer-affected children.</p><p>“The philosophy is simple…it should not look like hospital...it should not feel like hospital…it should not smell like hospital,” said eminent social worker and educationalist Shailesh Joglekar, the General Secretary and CEO at the NCI-Nagpur. </p><p>Many of those who are involved in running the institute have lost their near and dear ones to cancer.</p><p>The idea of such a setup and administration was conceived by Joglekar, who lost his wife and childhood friend to cancer, and also, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who lost his father and former MLC Gangadharrao Fadnavis to cancer, when he was 17. Joglekar is one of the founders of the Bhonsala Military School, a residential school imparting military education in Nagpur and Nashik. </p><p>Top companies of India figure in the list from where it receives philanthropy and CSR funds, and hence, NCI-Nagpur runs on a charitable model. </p><p>“It is now the first cancer hospital in central India to have over 450 beds. It is the only cancer hospital in central India with a paediatric ward and oncology ICU. Plans are afoot to provide advanced facilities like proton beam and carbon ion therapy treatment at cost-effective rates. NCI will also increase its bed capacity to 750, to make it the largest cancer facility in the country to be run by a charitable trust,” Joglekar told DH.</p><p>Besides Maharashtra, patients come from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Jharkhand and other parts of India. </p><p>Fadnavis and Joglekar took the lead in establishing NCI through the Dr Aabaji Thatte Seva Aur Anusandhan Santha, a trust which is named after Dr Thatte, who had served as a personal assistant and physician to the two successive chiefs of the RSS.</p><p>Eminent senior lawyer Sunil Manohar heads the governing board of the trust. Manohar is son of legal luminary V R Manohar and brother of former BCCI chief Shashank Manohar.</p><p>This facility is spread over 25 acres and has a 470-bed quaternary care oncology centre, having built-up area admeasuring 9.5 lakh sq ft approximately which would be scalable up to 750 beds in the future. </p><p>The hospital building is of 10 levels with around 7 lakh sq ft of built-up area, giving it a gigantic look. </p><p>It is also coming up with a 400-bed residential facility for patients who need longer time for treatment.</p><p>"Battling cancer together is the underlying motive of every individual, process and function at the National Cancer Institute. Each stakeholder in National Cancer Institute mission, be that the patient, the caregiver, the relative or our service associates, will be viewed as a ‘kark-yoddha’. NCI offers a solution to the mutual dilemma of information and support to cancer patients that will prove to be powerful and effective,” said Joglekar. </p><p>“The ‘kark-sevaks’ take ownership in lead management and seek intervention at the right time for the patients’ benefit. To render their services and grow professionally and individually, they are backed by the latest cancer care technology, world-class training, and opportunity to further study and mentorship from best doctors,” he added. </p><p>"A residential complex with area of 72,000 sq ft will be made available on the campus to accommodate accompanying relatives. We also provide transport facilities for our patients."</p>