The National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Jhajjar, Haryana, which is also India's largest cancer hospital, opened for public service on Tuesday with the formal inauguration to be held in January.

The NCI, which is a project under Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be headed by Dr G.K. Rath who is also the chief of Institute Rotary Cancer hospital at AIIMS.

According to AIIMS sources, the new cancer centre will take off some load from AIIMS which receives more than 1000 patients daily.

AIIMS sources said that while the doctors have already started the OPDs, the proper functioning of all departments at the NCI will start from January 2019. This has been divided into three phases with the first phase likely to have 250 beds available for the public.

Built at a cost of Rs 2,035 crore, the NCI has 710 beds in which 200 beds have been dedicated for the treatment of those cancers which are based on research protocols.

According to sources at AIIMS, indoor admissions will also be opened to the public in a phased manner by mid January.

The NCI will be the nodal institution for all activities related to cancer in the country and will have linkages with regional cancer centres and other cancer institutes within the country. 

It will act as the premier institute for cancer, identify priority areas for research and development and related areas, will carry out basic and applied research in molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, cancer epidemiology, radiation biology, cancer vaccines and more.

The NCI will evolve model cancer control strategies for the developing world which will include newer modalities of prevention, early diagnosis and therapy. It will also act as a centre for development of human resource in various branches of cancer management.

Apart from these, there will be facilities for training and capacity building.

By December 2019, indoor admissions will be increased up to 500 beds and then in another one year plans are afoot to make it fully operational.

The NCI will have equipment with advanced and latest technology to learn more about cancer. Research will also be conducted in other regional cancer centres with assistance from the NCI.

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