Kochi Cancer Centre fails to make headway
Funds released but duties of special officer yet to be outlined
Kochi: Steps to realise the Kochi Cancer Centre have hit a roadblock with the state government failing to give any definite role to the special officer, Dr Asha Thomas who has been appointed for the project.
The government is yet to issue an order (GO) earmarking the role and responsibilities of the two special officers Dr Asha Thomas and Dr V.P. Gangadharan (technical). The Cabinet meeting which decided to appoint the two special officers had also decided that another GO would be issued fixing the role and responsibilities of the two officers. However, this has remained pending even after three months of the Cabinet meeting on July 24.
Interestingly the special officer who is an IAS officer, senior to the health secretary Dr K. Elangovan by four years is not even a member of the society formed to realise the cancer centre. This has come as a major stumbling block in the functioning of the society while the health secretary is a member of it.
The proposal of Dr Asha Thomas to make her a member of the society for a term till the realisation of the centre is understood to have been shot down by the health department. Though the excise department has sanctioned Rs 10 crore from its cess for realising the cancer centre OP, Dr Asha Thomas has not been granted permission to start a bank account in her capacity and thereby the funds cannot be transferred now.
Following the direction of the finance additional chief secretary Dr K.M. Abraham, the health department reissued the GO constituting the society for the cancer centre fixing its seven members, detailing the Memorandum of Association, rules and other requirements. However, since Dr Asha Thomas is not a member of the society she can function only in an advisory role which has come as a setback for the whole project.
The PWD is understood to have given an estimate of Rs 2.50 crore to Dr Asha Thomas to crate the infrastructure for the cancer centre OP at the pay ward building of the EGMC baed on the design and staff pattern approved by the special officer (technical).
However, there has been no progress since.
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