Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has kicked off a new SMH-Curie Cancer Centre, a unit of Healthcare Global Enterprises Limited, at Shanti Mukand Hospital in East Delhi on Saturday.

The SMH-Curie Cancer Centre is the first to set up ‘Image Guided Radiation Therapy’ (IGRT) in Northern India.

The new centre is equipped with modern expertise in surgical, medical and radiation oncology, and supported by psycho-oncology and rehabilitation.

While inaugurating the centre, Ms. Dikshit said it was really an encouraging step by a private hospital taking the lead in offering up better health treatment to patients.

“I am glad to know that IGRT is the most advanced technology to treat cancer. We are also open to more public-private partnership to provide advanced healthcare facilities,” she added.

She also said that thousands of people from all over the country reach Delhi each day seeking better treatment. For that reason, it is a proper place to launch a service like IGRT in north India, so that maximum patient can get the benefit of the service.

Dr. Sameer Khatri, consultant medical oncologist at the SMH-Curie Cancer Centre said, “Apart from bringing IGRT, the centre also provides the latest in the field of medical oncology including targeted therapy. Targeted therapy in cancer treatment is the result of several years of research dedicated to understanding the differences between cancer cells and normal cells. Target therapy attacks cancer cells only without damaging the normal cells, thus leading to fewer side effects.”

S. Ajai Kumar, Chairman and CEO of Healthcare Global Enterprises Limited said, “The Centre will make a qualitative difference in the life and health of the citizens of Delhi and neighbouring States by providing world-class treatment at an affordable cost.”