Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Gujarat is solidifying its position as a national hub for advanced lung cancer treatment, with the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute (GCRI) in Ahmedabad treating 4,397 patients between 2020 and 2024. Of these, 3,256 patients benefited from the PMJAY-MA health scheme, underscoring the state’s commitment to affordable, high-quality cancer care.
Speaking on World Lung Cancer Day, GCRI officials urged the public to prioritise early screening and tobacco cessation, stressing that over 40 per cent of cases in India are diagnosed at late stages, significantly reducing survival chances. GCRI Director Dr. Shashank Pandya emphasised, “Awareness is our greatest defence. Early detection, quitting tobacco, and timely care can save lives.” The annual number of patients seeking treatment at GCRI has seen a steady rise: 700 in 2020, 813 in 2021, 865 in 2022, 933 in 2023 and 1,086 in 2024. Among the 4,397 patients treated, 3,597 were men, 799 women, and one child, with 1,426 patients coming from other Indian states—further validating Gujarat’s growing reputation in cancer care.
GCRI has also emerged as a key player in India’s medical tourism sector, offering globally competitive treatment options using cutting-edge technologies such as CyberKnife, True Beam, TomoTherapy, Robotic Surgery, and advanced diagnostics like PET-CT, PSMA Scan, NGS, and 3 Tesla MRI.
Under its 2006 Medical Tourism Policy, the state has recorded a growth rate of 33 per cent in medical tourism – well ahead of the national average of 20 per cent. Major cities, including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, and Surat, host advanced super-speciality hospitals renowned for specialities such as cardiology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, infertility treatment, and oncology.
Ahmedabad’s massive Civil Hospital – Asia’s largest – and private institutions like Zydus Hospitals and Shalby Hospitals offer NABH/NABL‑accredited services, cutting-edge diagnostics, and high-end surgeries at a fraction of international costs.
