Adyar Cancer Institute
Overview
Adyar Cancer Institute is a cancer specialty hospital situated in the city of Chennai, India.
Foundation
Adyar Cancer Institute was started by Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy on June 18, 1954. Dr. Muthulakshmi was India's first female medical graduate and a prominent social reformer.
Several firsts
The Institute's first break came on December 24, 1956, when Atomic Energy, Canada, gifted a Cobalt-60 Teletherapy unit (radiation therapy machine). It was the first such unit in Asia.
The Institute has several other firsts to its credit. They include:
- A department of Nuclear Medical Oncology in 1956;
- Paediatric oncology in 1960;
- Installing a linear accelerator in 1976;
- Introducing Blood Component Therapy in 1978;
- Introducing hypothermia treatment in 1984;
- Installing a ND-YAG Surgical Laser in 1985 and performing endoscopic laser surgery;
- The only institute where Intra-operative Electron Therapy is available since 1992.
Present facilities
The Institute has a hospital, a research centre, a centre of preventive oncology, and a College of Oncology Sciences (a postgraduate college that conducts super-speciality courses in surgical oncology and medical oncology).
Its centre for preventive oncology has been working in conjunction with non-government organisations and government hospitals to conduct cancer screening camps and Pap smear tests at the district level and in various parts of the city.
The Institute's hereditary cancer clinic, the first in the country, is studying the genetic factors related to the disease.
The Tobacco Cessation Clinic has been helping people to fight various forms of tobacco consumption, which is the most common cause for cancer.
Annually, more than 95,000 to 100,000 patients from all parts of India visit the hospital; hardly 0.5% of whom are covered by health insurance. In fact, only 15–20% of the population can afford treatment at private hospitals. The rest must depend on hospitals like the Adyar Cancer Institute or government hospitals, where treatment is either free or subsidised. The Institute has 428 beds, of which 297 are free. Last year alone saw nearly 100,000 patients, of which 60% received free treatment. The number of patients coming to the hospital has increased each year. Generally, 66% of them get free or subsidised treatment.
Recognition
In 2005, Dr. V Shanta, honorary chairperson of the Cancer Institute, was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award.