GE to be part of cancer care venture in India

GE Healthcare and Cancer Treatment Services International (CTSI) will invest $120 million (Rs 720 crore) over a period of five years to set up 25 cancer care centres in India for early diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

These centres will have state-of-the-art technology for diagnosing and treating cancer. The companies said the treatment would be delivered at prices that are more affordable than currently.

The GE-CTSI partnership will configure the centres in a hub-and-spoke model. The hub will be a centre of excellence offering full diagnostic imaging and treatment capabilities, while the spoke will have the ability to deliver a range of screening and treatment options.

"In the US, early diagnosis of cancer is an outpatient service. But in India, cancer is detected at an advanced stage and requires in-patient care. The partnership attempts to leverage a pool of talented Indian doctors and medical infrastructure to make cancer treatment an out-patient service in the long-run," said Joe Nicholas, president and CEO of CTSI. Today, for a patient from rural India, 50% of the cost is on account of travel and logistics.

Pittsburgh-based CTSI provides comprehensive clinical and administrative solutions for the treatment of cancer. Founded in 2006 by a group of physicians and businessmen, CTSI began operations as a US-based oncology provider with a focus on out-patient radiation therapy and medical oncology. CTSI's flagship international centre, American Oncology Institute, has a unit in Hyderabad that commenced operations in 2012.

American Oncology Institute is a 250-bed cancer hospital featuring radiation oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, diagnostic and other support care services. CTSI plans to launch 3-5 hubs in Andhra Pradesh and the rest will be spread across the country, each entailing an investment of $10 million.

India currently has over 400 cancer care centres with 40% of private cancer care hospitals concentrated in the top six metros. But the incidence of cancer has risen sharply in India. The country has 3 million patients and 1.23 million new cases are registered every year. The mortality rates are very high due to late detection, poor access to care and high costs. "We want to leverage on our technology platforms with CTSI's proven expertise in operating cancer centres to tackle cancer early on in India," said John Dineen, CEO of GE Healthcare, which has a major research centre in Bangalore.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/GE-to-be-part-of-cancer-care-venture-in-India/articleshow/32678859.cms