KOCHI: Cochin Cancer Research Centre (CCRC) received a shot in the arm with the State Government giving a green light to set up the speech and swallow clinic at the centre rebuffing the objections raised by the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) director Dr Paul Sebastian in this regard. Sources in the state health department said that the development comes in the wake of the active interest taken by the health additional chief secretary Rajeev Sadanandan in this regard after the issue was taken up with him by Ernakulam district collector and CCRC special officer Muhammed Y. Safirulla.
The special officer took up the issue after Thanal Pain and Palliative Care Society in Ernakulam petitioned him following reports of rejection of permission to the clinic by the Health Department. Dr Paul Sebastian had said that the speech and swallow clinic needed to be set up only after the CCRC moved into its own building from the current payward building of Ernakulam Government Medical College. Initially, the health additional chief secretary himself had referred the speech and swallow clinic file to RCC director Dr Paul Sebastian for his expert opinion. The RCC director had rejected permission after sitting on the file for three months which was first accepted by the health department.
This has now been overturned with the special officer taking up issue. Interestingly RCC is still to have a speech and swallow clinic which is for patients having cancers in larynx who have undergone surgery and radiotherapy. The clinic assists in the process of swallowing with various techniques. It has to be noted that the health department is yet to give permission for the immuno analyser sought at the Cochin Cancer Research Centre.
Dr Paul Sebastian had also denied permission for the same after the file for speech and swallow clinic and immuno analyser was sent to him. He said that Cochin Cancer Research Centre does not have a biochemist to take charge of immuno analyser. Interestingly immuno analyser is in the hands of the nuclear medicine department at RCC. An immuno analyser is used for a variety of tests including those for cancer (tumor markers), viral infections and endocrine function.
