- 1968 on 14TH January, the first Lions Cancer Detection Center sponsored by Liones Club of Surat (Main) and affiliated to Indian Cancer Society, Bombay was inaugurate by Shri Hitendra Desai, the erstwhile Chief Minister of Gujarat
- 1969 on 4th June, the Club’s Board decided to put the Center under the separate Trust
- 1970 3rd August, the first meeting of the founder members of the Trust was held. The meeting was presided by late Shri R. T. Popawala who was elected as Chairman of the Trust.
- 1972 on 21-03-72 the Trust was registered under the Bombay Public Charitable Trust Act of 1950 and was subsequently granted exemption of I.T. under section 80 (G) 5
- On 20th July, 1972 the first clinic managed by the Trust was inaugurated by Dr. Ashok Mehta of Tata Memorial Hospital Bombay.
- 1973, The first illustrated printed Report of the Center was published.
As the public response increased, a second Detection Clinic was started at Sheth DVS Ashaktashram Hospital, Surat on 7th March, 1976.
During the course of health check-up camps and from the observations of our doctors at Cancer Detection Clinics, it was noted that the incidence of Breast and Cervical Cancer was quite high in the female population of South Gujarat, specially in the rural areas and people belonging to low socioeconomic strata. The findings were reported to the Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi and on their advice, a project was undertaken to study the epidemiology of incidence of breast and Cervical Cancer in the urban and rural female population of South Gujarat. This project was approved by Indian Council of Medical Research and on their recommendation, the Ministry of Finance, Government of India granted 100% income tax exemption on the donations made to the Trust for cancer research purposes in November 1979.
The, the Trust approached the Government of Gujarat requesting to allot a piece of land in the compound of new Civil Hospital, Surat so that the Trust could construct a building of its own for housing the Cancer Treatment complex. The Government granted the request by allotting a plot admeasuring 2000 sq.mts.. The construction of the building immediately started and simultaneously steps were taken to procure the Radiotherapy machine and other necessary equipments required for oncology unit.
The building was inaugurated on 14th June 1980 by her excellent Smt. Sharda Mukherji, the Governer of Gujarat. Soon, all the essential equipments were installed and the first patient was treated with radiotherapy on 25th August, 1980. other deparments like Pathology, Radiology, Chemotherapy and Surgery were commissioned in quick succession.
The Center has also been recognized by the South Gujarat University as an affiliate Institution of Government Medical College, Surat for postgraduate teaching of Radiotherapy. The Center works in collaboration with New Civil Hospital, Surat for Joint Management of cancer patients. The Government of Gujarat have also accepted our request for 100% recurring grant.
In order to further strengthen the Radiotherapy services. The Trust decided to develop Brachtherapy (Internal Radiotherapy) facility. For this, District Planning Committee sanctioned Rs. 2,50,000/- for Brachtherapy Unit and Rs. 1,25,000/- for additional construction. or the Brachytherapy Unit and unit imported from japan for this purpose and installed 1983.
Department of Nuclear Medicine established in 1984. Gamma Camera was received from U.S.A. Nuclear Medicine facility is very useful in staging and management of cancer.
It was observed that a large number of patients attending our Center for treatment are from surrounding areas of south Gujarat and do not have a place to stay in Surat during the course of treatment. For this reason, it was considered necessary to have a patient hostel where such patients and their attendants could stay. To this effect a social service organization Shri Sai Baba Satsang Mandal, Surat offered to build a Pathikashram if land could be made available. The Trust again approached the State Government for request to sanction a plot of 500 sq.mts for this purpose.
The Central Government declared its policy regarding cancer detection. We were recognized as a Center and received Rs. 50,000/- from the Central Government for Pathology Laboratory Equipment.
Due to increase of number of patients of Radiotherapy, SAIBABA SATSANG MANDAL has constructed first floor of PATHIKASHRAM in 2003 which is very useful to the needy cancer patients to stay there during radiation treatment.
Free Cancer Care 