Kochi Cancer Centre: No dearth of government orders

KOCHI: The Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Movement, which is spearheading the movement to realise the Kochi Cancer Research Centre, on Monday shot off a letter to the Health Minister K.K. Shylaja informing her that all official government orders (GOs) are in place for setting up the Kochi Cancer Centre. The Minister in her recent visit to the cancer centre OP building had expressed doubts whether there really existed GOs in this regard to which the officials including the District Collector M.G. Rajamanickam, who were present during the Minister's visit, failed to give a clear reply.

The movement volunteer Dr N.K. Sanil Kumar sourced the documents and relevant GO numbers from the records of the Assembly and the affidavits given by the special officer for the project and the health department before the State Human Rights Commission. The movement has requested the Health Minister to expedite the works on the cancer centre in the light of the concrete documents which she can rely on. Eight GOs have been submitted by the movement.

They start from the Health and Family Welfare GO which sanctions the cancer centre in 2014, Cabinet’s administrative sanction in 2015, the order allowing registration of Cochin Cancer Research Centre Society and the GO on Memorandum of Agreement on October 6, 2015, the GO sanctioning Rs 10 crore from the Beverages Corporation for initial works on October 28, 2015, the GO on November 30 which sanctions OP building renovation and deployment of nursing staff, the GO on January 22, 2016, handing over Rs 10 crore for initial works and the GO on January 27, 2016, deciding to purchase equipment worth Rs 1.3 crore through Medical Service Corporation.

Then the Cabinet decision on appointing staff in 30 posts came on February 25 this year. “The previous government has taken a lot of steps to materialise the cancer centre which the new government should continue to realise the cancer centre,” said Dr Sanil Kumar.