Narayana Hospital, Ahmedabad today took a significant step in strengthening cancer care access in Gujarat with the launch of its new Radiation Oncology Centre. The facility was inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister, Gujarat, Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel, who graced the occasion as Chief Guest. The centre is designed to bring advanced, precise, and faster radiation therapy within reach of patients across the region, eliminating the need to travel far from home for critical cancer treatment.
During the launch, Dr. Devi Shetty, Founder and Chairman, Narayana Health, said, “The burden of cancer is rising, and the margin for delay is shrinking every day. Early and precise intervention can be the difference between recovery and irreversible progression, and every patient deserves access to that, close to home. This centre is our commitment to the people of Gujarat that they will not have to wait, or travel, for the care they need.”
Mr. Hemant Bhatnagar, Facility Director, Narayana Hospital, Ahmedabad, said, “This centre represents our conviction that world-class cancer care must be available where patients live, not just far from home. With the Halcyon system, we are equipped to serve a significantly larger number of patients with greater accuracy, shorter treatment times, and a meaningfully better care experience.”
At the heart of the centre is the Halcyon radiation therapy system, a technology purpose-built for speed and precision. It delivers high-accuracy, image-guided treatment while significantly reducing exposure to healthy surrounding tissue, improving both outcomes and the overall patient experience.
Radiation therapy is one of the most effective tools for cancer care. Using targeted high-energy beams to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumours, it plays a critical role across treatment stages: from curative intent in early cases to slowing disease progression and managing symptoms in advanced ones. Yet access to this treatment remains severely constrained. India has only around 550 operational radiotherapy machines, which is far below the WHO recommendation of one machine per million population. The burden is equally stark in Gujarat, which records 70,000 to 73,000 new cancer cases each year, part of the 1.41 to 1.46 million cases diagnosed nationally. Nearly 40% of these are detected at an advanced stage, where swift access to treatment is not a convenience but a clinical necessity. By launching this centre, Narayana Hospital Ahmedabad directly addresses this gap for the region.
The Halcyon system is designed to deliver this commitment clinically. It uses daily CT imaging to ensure millimetre-accurate tumour targeting before every session. Techniques such as Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT), and Stereotactic Radiosurgery enable precise, high-dose delivery shaped to the tumour, completing some sessions in as little as two minutes, while protecting surrounding healthy tissue throughout.
Dr. Tasneem Nalawala, Consultant Radiation Oncologist, Narayana Hospital, Ahmedabad, added, “Halcyon allows us to deliver accurate, image-guided treatments in just a few minutes. Shorter treatment times make a meaningful difference to patient experience, particularly for those who find prolonged sessions difficult. This technology lets us uphold the highest clinical standards while making care genuinely more accessible.”
With this launch, Narayana Hospital, Ahmedabad’s oncology offering becomes comprehensive with existing best in care Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, and now Radiation Oncology as well, enabling integrated cancer care under one roof. For residents of Ahmedabad and neighbouring districts, this means access to the full spectrum of cancer treatment without leaving the region, a step that reflects Narayana Health’s broader resolve that geography should never determine the quality of care a patient receives.
