Navi Mumbai: The Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) has announced the establishment of its first multispecialty hospital at the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC) in Kharghar. This initiative aims to provide comprehensive care to cancer patients by addressing their non-cancer medical needs within the same facility.
Currently, patients undergoing cancer treatment at ACTREC often need to be referred to other hospitals for conditions affecting their heart, lungs, kidneys, and other organs. The new 12-storey multispecialty block will house clinics capable of managing these complications, ensuring holistic treatment, said ACTREC director Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi. The facility, expected to be completed in the next three years, will have over 150 beds.
Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi
Dr Chaturvedi said, “Cancer is often an age-related disease, and its incidence increases alongside other comorbidities. Treatments like chemotherapy can cause complications affecting vital organs. This in-house multispecialty block will help manage such adverse effects and improve patient outcomes,” he said.
Tata Memorial Centre Announces Key Initiatives
In addition to the new multispecialty hospital, TMC has announced several key initiatives. A major focus is expanding patient accommodation. The Infosys Foundation is supporting the Asha Nivas facility, which provides free or subsidised housing to 300 patients and their caregivers. An 11-storey St. Jude’s Children’s Cancer Centre, slated to open by mid2025, will offer accommodation to 220 children and their parents.
ACTREC is also strengthening its role in cancer research. It is home to the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), where scientists conduct high-level research on cancer biology, treatment, and prevention. This facility is unique within TMC as it integrates both basic and clinical research under one roof. Furthermore, ACTREC is set to become one of India’s largest radiation therapy centres, with a new facility supported by corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding.
A key addition to this is the upcoming Radiological Research Unit, which will include one of the world’s largest nuclear medicine treatment centres, featuring 41 specialised therapy beds and an in-house cyclotron for producing medical isotopes. To support cutting-edge research, ACTREC will soon commission a high-performance computing facility. This powerful supercomputer will facilitate advanced cancer research, enabling breakthroughs in genomics, artificial intelligence-driven diagnostics, and drug discovery.
A major addition to ACTREC’s infrastructure is a 400-bed hospital dedicated to blood cancer treatment for both children and adults, expected to be completed by December 2025.
“Blood cancers and paediatric cancers are among the most curable cancers in the world, and this new unit will allow us to provide focused, high-quality care,” said Dr Naveen Khattry, deputy director at ACTREC.
Bone marrow transplantation has been a key area of expertise at ACTREC, with over 1,100 transplants conducted since 2007. The facility is now expanding its cellular therapy programmes, including CAR-T cell therapy – a groundbreaking immunotherapy for blood cancer.
