Mumbai, June 02, 2023. ICICI Bank, a leading financial institution, has pledged a historic contribution of Rs 1,200 crore to the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), a renowned organization dedicated to cancer treatment and research. This significant investment marks the largest-ever donation by an organization to TMC.
The funds will be utilized to establish three state-of-the-art blocks at TMC hospitals located in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, Mullanpur, Punjab, and Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. These new buildings will cover a combined area of 7.5 lakh square feet and will be equipped with advanced medical facilities.
The initiative, which is expected to be completed by 2027, will be implemented by ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of ICICI Bank. The project aims to double the capacity of patients receiving advanced oncology treatment, providing evidence-based therapies to approximately 25,000 new patients each year.
An agreement expressing ICICI Bank's commitment was signed between ICICI Foundation and TMC. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of Mr. Girish Chandra Chaturvedi, Chairman of ICICI Bank, and Mr. Sandeep Batra, Executive Director of ICICI Bank, along with Mr. Sanjay Datta, President of ICICI Foundation, and Dr. R. A. Badwe, Director of Tata Memorial Centre.
Additionally, the bank inaugurated the ICICI MRI Facility at Tata Memorial Hospital in Parel, Mumbai. This facility, supported by ICICI Foundation, is equipped with an advanced MRI machine.
Mr. Girish Chandra Chaturvedi, Chairman of ICICI Bank, expressed the bank's commitment to serving the nation and highlighted the various initiatives undertaken by ICICI Foundation. These initiatives include environmental conservation, skill development for sustainable livelihood, affordable healthcare, and community development projects. He emphasized that ICICI Foundation has positively impacted more than 10.9 million beneficiaries through its initiatives, which include planting over 2.6 million trees, rainwater harvesting capacity at 5000 rural schools and watershed structures, rooftop solar panels for rural schools, skilling initiatives benefiting over 2.9 million lives (with over half being women), and social and healthcare initiatives benefiting millions of individuals.
Speaking about the contribution, Mr. Chaturvedi stated that ICICI Bank is committing Rs 1,200 crore to build three new blocks at Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) in Navi Mumbai, Mullanpur, and Visakhapatnam by 2027. The aim is to improve cancer care services across various regions of the country, providing patients with access to advanced therapies. These new facilities will also serve as regional referral centers, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai.
Dr. R A Badwe, Director of Tata Memorial Centre, expressed gratitude to ICICI Foundation for embarking on one of the largest CSR initiatives in improving cancer care in the country. He highlighted the importance of delivering advanced cancer care closer to home, allowing more people in the region to benefit from such therapies. The new infrastructure being added to TMC's hospitals in Navi Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, and Mullanpur will provide timely, high-quality treatment at highly subsidized costs. These facilities will become regional hubs, offering advanced therapies such as bone marrow transplants and cellular therapies to patients in the respective regions.
The salient features of the bank's commitment include the establishment of an 'ICICI Radiation Oncology Block' at TMC's Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research & Education in Cancer (ACTREC) in Navi Mumbai. This block will be equipped with state-of-the-art radiology facilities, including CT scanners and MRT, to reduce waiting times for investigations and enhance the quality of treatment. Additionally, ICICI Foundation will establish two 'ICICI Paediatric and Haematological Oncology Blocks' at TMC's Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Mullanpur, Punjab, and Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. These centres will provide advanced equipment and therapies for treating pediatric and hematological cancer, including intense chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation, radiation therapy, and cutting-edge immunotherapies like CAR-T cell. The centres will also have dedicated beds, day care units, ICUs, MRI and CT-PET Scan facilities, and advanced laboratories for testing, including genetics. These centres will become regional referral centers for the southern and northern parts of the country.
The completion of these initiatives will mark a significant milestone in the fight against cancer, bringing hope and advanced treatments to patients in need.
More about the initiative: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bu8vrxurOcZ0yfPSLTm5f_bW7NFdkqh1/view?usp=sharing
