Kumar Bahukhandi
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurates the new advanced cancer care centre at Pachpedi Naka in Raipur on Sunday August 16, 2026. Assembly Speaker Raman Singh and other dignitaries are seen at the ceremony-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CMO
New facility adds to Chhattisgarh’s expanding specialised healthcare network; CM says patients should have access to advanced treatment within the state
In Short
- Sai inaugurates advanced cancer care centre at Pachpedi Naka in Raipur
- New facility brings cancer diagnosis, treatment and specialised services under one roof
- CM says Chhattisgarh is steadily strengthening access to advanced healthcare
- Raman Singh stresses regular screening and early detection in the fight against cancer
- Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal says state now has 15 medical colleges
- Specialised healthcare services continue to expand in Raipur, Bilaspur and Bastar
Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai inaugurated a new state-of-the-art cancer care centre at Pachpedi Naka in Raipur on Sunday August 16, 2026 , strengthening specialised treatment facilities for patients in the state.
Sai inspected the centre’s advanced treatment facilities and modern medical equipment and interacted with doctors and healthcare professionals. He said the new facility would enable cancer patients to access diagnosis, treatment and other essential medical services at one location.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai addresses the gathering after inaugurating the advanced cancer care centre at Pachpedi Naka in Raipur on Sunday August 16, 2026 . He stressed the need to expand access to quality and specialised treatment within Chhattisgarh-Photo Credit:channel24india.com via CMO
The Chief Minister described the facility as another important addition to Chhattisgarh’s growing healthcare infrastructure and said the government’s larger objective was to ensure that people requiring advanced treatment should not be compelled to travel outside the state.
“Our effort is to ensure that people of Chhattisgarh have access to quality and advanced medical treatment within the state itself,” Sai said.
Referring to the growth of healthcare infrastructure since Chhattisgarh was formed 25 years ago, Sai said the state had travelled a considerable distance in expanding medical facilities.
He acknowledged the expansion of healthcare infrastructure during the tenure of former Chief Minister and current Assembly Speaker Raman Singh and said the present government had continued the process during the past two-and-a-half years.
The Chief Minister said the participation of the private sector in creating advanced healthcare facilities complements government efforts and gives patients wider access to specialised treatment.
The occasion also carried an emotional dimension. Sai recalled the death of Pradeep Dave, brother of senior doctor Sandeep Dave, due to cancer and said the personal tragedy had strengthened the resolve to contribute more substantially to the fight against the disease. Sai also paid floral tribute to the late Pradeep Dave.
Early Detection Can Make the Difference
Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Speaker Raman Singh focused attention on one of the most important aspects of cancer care — timely diagnosis.
He said cancer affects not only an individual patient but the entire family, making awareness, regular screening and early detection extremely important.
“The chances of successful treatment increase considerably when cancer is detected at an early stage,” Raman Singh said.
He said the addition of specialised cancer treatment to existing medical services would allow patients to receive more comprehensive care at one location.
Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal placed the new facility within the wider expansion of Chhattisgarh’s healthcare network.
He said Chhattisgarh had only one medical college when the state was formed, while the number increased to 10 during Raman Singh’s tenure and has now reached 15 with further expansion under the Sai government.
Jaiswal said the growth was not confined to the number of medical colleges. Super-speciality services were also being extended beyond the state capital, reducing the dependence of patients from distant districts on Raipur for complex treatment.
He pointed particularly to Bastar, where the availability of specialised medical care has reduced the need to airlift critically ill patients to Raipur. Complex procedures, including cardiac surgeries, are now being performed in Jagdalpur.
Bilaspur has also received a super-speciality hospital, while work on two additional super-speciality facilities is underway.
The expansion assumes particular importance for a geographically large state where patients from remote tribal and rural regions have traditionally had to travel considerable distances for specialised treatment.
Cancer care presents an additional challenge because treatment is often prolonged and may require repeated visits for investigations, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, surgery and follow-up care. Availability of comprehensive facilities closer to patients can therefore reduce not only travel but also the financial and emotional burden on families.
The new centre in Raipur adds another layer to that specialised healthcare network.
For the state, however, expanding treatment capacity represents only one side of the fight against cancer. Awareness and screening remain equally important, particularly because delayed detection can make treatment more difficult.
The emphasis placed by Raman Singh on screening therefore carries significance beyond the inauguration itself. Greater awareness of warning signs, timely medical consultation and regular screening among vulnerable groups can help detect the disease at stages when treatment may be more effective.
Sai said strengthening healthcare infrastructure remains an important priority as Chhattisgarh moves ahead in its development journey.
The presence of advanced facilities within the state, he said, can give patients greater confidence that sophisticated treatment need not necessarily mean travelling to major medical centres outside Chhattisgarh.
Lok Sabha MP Brijmohan Agrawal, MLA Motilal Sahu, doctors, healthcare professionals and other dignitaries were present at the programme.
