WORK on a BD31-million ($81.7 million) cancer care unit, the first of its kind in the region, was set to start last month at the King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) in Muharraq.

The state-of-the-art National Oncology Centre is expected to be completed by May 2016 and will help with the early detection tests and treatment of cancer among patients in Bahrain.

Planned to be a state-of-the-art facility boasting 120 beds, the centre will cover 57,000 sq m, including underground parking within the hospital’s grounds.

“This is a big project for Bahrain and we have co-operated with several local government agencies to make it a success, as the new oncology centre will provide comprehensive diagnostic and treatment facilities,” said KHUH chief executive Major General Dr Shaikh Salman bin Ateyatallah Al Khalifa.