Cancer Institute of Chennai

The Cancer Institute (WIA), as you are aware, is a public charitable voluntary institute dedicated to the care of cancer for for the last 60 years.

The Institute is a comprehensive cancer centre comprising of a hospital of 535 beds, a research division, a college of oncological sciences and a division of preventive oncology and provides state of art treatment to one and all.It has both a National and International stature.Of the hospital beds, only 40% are paying beds and the remaining are general beds where patients are boarded and lodged free of cost. 40% of the patients are treated totally free and remaining patients pay a norminal amount.Annually, over 15,672 new patients and 140,935 follow up cases are seen at the Institute.The Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai was established more than 50 years ago by the Womens Indian Association Cancer Relief Fund under the leadership of Dr. Muthulakshi Reddy, as a “mission” to provide scientific treatment and promote health education amongst all sections of people. The ethos of the Cancer Institute (WIA) is “service to all” irrespective of social or economic class. It was established in the faith that selfless service would generate its own strength and funds would always be found. The Institute will not be confined to the four walls of a multi storey building but will strive to reach out to every nook & corner of the state. The Cancer Institute (WIA) shall aspire to be a symbol of mans eternal quest to conquer disease and an inspiration that reaches out to humanity.

DR MUTHULAKSHMI REDDY - The Founder Of Cancer Institute (WIA).

• Founded the Cancer Institute (WIA) in 1954
• First woman in India to graduate in medicine - 1912
• First Indian member in Womens India Association (WIA), Madras (1918) and was its President for 30 years.
• Member and Vice-President of Madras Legislative Assembly (1927-1930)
• Founded the Avvai Home for orphanaged girls and daughters of devadasis -1930
• Initiated the cancer relief fund of the WIA to set up a specialty Cancer Hospital - 1949
• Awarded Padma Bhushan - 1956

In 1886 on the 30 th of July , a girl was born in a middle class family in a state called “Pudukottai”. She was named Muthulakshmi. One hardly realized that she was Gods creation who would rise in this world to fight cancer.

Muthulakshmi went on to become the first woman in India to graduate in medicine in 1912. She along with two Europeans founded the Womens India Association (WIA) in 1918. In 1927, she became the first woman in the world to preside over a legislative body. She was an active member in the freedom struggle.In 1922, Dr.Muthulakshmi Reddy detected cancer in her sisters rectum. From that day, she stayed by her bedside with agony till she passed away a year later. This incident sparked of her involvement in cancer and she proposed to build a cancer hospital in Madras. She formed a Cancer Relief Fund in 1949 and with the support of the WIA, she established the cancer hospital in 1954 in a small hut.She made sure her son, Dr. S. Krishnamurthi , after completing his medicine in the US stay back in India and serve the cause of poor cancer patients. The rest is now seen in the form of one of the best state-of-art cancer hospitals in the world today.