Bhubaneswar: The Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) and SUM Hospital, run by the SOA University in the capital city, has set up a new department of Surgical Oncology to provide cancer treatment to patients including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and palliative care.

The new department will be headed by Dr Sunil Agrawala who has joined the hospital as Associate Professor. Dr Agrawala, who did his MS in general surgery from the MKCG Medical College, Berhampur and DNB Super Specialisation in surgical oncology from CCWHRI Hospital, Kolkata, worked with leading cancer hospitals in the country before joining IMS and SUM Hospital.

Dr D K Ray, Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital, said that the opening of the new department of Surgical Oncology would endeavour to provide the best technology, expanding the access of patients to treatment and bringing all facets of treatment at one patient-centred location.

The hospital’s Superintendent, Dr P K Mohanty, said the new facility at IMS and SUM Hospital would address the needs of cancer patients in Odisha who had to travel to various cities outside the state for treatment.

He said the hospital would start a hospital based tumour registry to recognize the different trends in cancer. The hospital, he said, would soon tie up with a radiotherapy centre where patients would get treated and return to the hospital till it acquired its own radiotherapy unit.

With the joining of Dr Agrawala, the hospital is capable of providing all cancer treatments including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and palliative care, he said.