Fri Jan 03 14:10:09 UTC 2025: ## New State-of-the-Art Cancer Hospital Opens in Belagavi
**Belagavi, Karnataka, January 3, 2025** – President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the KLE Dr. Sampatkumar Shivanagi Cancer Hospital in Belagavi today, a 300-bed facility built at a cost of ₹300 crore. The hospital, equipped with cutting-edge technology, will serve patients from Karnataka and neighboring states.
President Murmu highlighted the growing concern over rising cancer rates in India, emphasizing the need to address both the physical and psychological aspects of the disease. She praised the Ayushman Bharat scheme for its positive impact on cancer treatment timelines and called for a concerted national effort to combat this health challenge. She urged increased awareness of cancer prevention and early detection.
KLE Society chairman Prabhakar Kore detailed the organization’s history, highlighting its expansion from a single school in 1916 to a global institution with over 145,000 students and a vast healthcare network. He emphasized the hospital’s mission to provide affordable, world-class cancer treatment, particularly to rural populations. The hospital’s construction was partly funded by an ₹8 crore donation from the family of U.S.-based physician Sampatkumar S. Shivanagi. Beyond treatment, the hospital will offer early detection, prevention services, rehabilitation, palliative care, and research facilities.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Karnataka Ministers Sharan Prakash Patil and Satish Jarkiholi joined President Murmu and other dignitaries at the inauguration, expressing their support for the new facility and its potential to greatly benefit the region.
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