<p>Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today urged the Centre to accord the status of "Centre of Excellence" to the Cancer Institute at Adyar here, an non-governmental institution, to enable its expansion to treat more patients.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said a proposal for upgradation of the centre as a National Centre pending with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare be approved to enable it expand and strengthen its capacity to treat cancer patients in larger numbers.<br /><br />"Considering the excellent service rendered by this Institution for over three decades, even while functioning as an NGO, I consider that its status should no more be that of a Tertiary Cancer Institute, but requires to be elevated to the status of a Centre of Excellence - an Autonomous National Cancer Research Institute", Jayalalithaa said.<br /><br />She said that the union government has so far provided meagre support to this Institute through the Tertiary Cancer Centre Scheme by way of a grant of Rs 4.80 crore for equipment purchased in 2011/12. The state government released Rs 1.20 crore as its share for this.<br /><br />The institute, set up in 1954, should be conferred with National Status as a "Centre of Excellence", particularly when it has been rated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the "Top Ranking Centre" in the country, she said.</p>
<p>Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today urged the Centre to accord the status of "Centre of Excellence" to the Cancer Institute at Adyar here, an non-governmental institution, to enable its expansion to treat more patients.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said a proposal for upgradation of the centre as a National Centre pending with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare be approved to enable it expand and strengthen its capacity to treat cancer patients in larger numbers.<br /><br />"Considering the excellent service rendered by this Institution for over three decades, even while functioning as an NGO, I consider that its status should no more be that of a Tertiary Cancer Institute, but requires to be elevated to the status of a Centre of Excellence - an Autonomous National Cancer Research Institute", Jayalalithaa said.<br /><br />She said that the union government has so far provided meagre support to this Institute through the Tertiary Cancer Centre Scheme by way of a grant of Rs 4.80 crore for equipment purchased in 2011/12. The state government released Rs 1.20 crore as its share for this.<br /><br />The institute, set up in 1954, should be conferred with National Status as a "Centre of Excellence", particularly when it has been rated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the "Top Ranking Centre" in the country, she said.</p>