Health Minister K K Shylaja tells MCH to share operation theatre facility

Kochi: Health Minister K K Shylaja on Thursday intervened in the issue prevailing between Kochi Cancer Research Centre and Ernakulam Government Medical College over sharing the operation theatre facility of the medical college with the cancer centre. According to sources, the medical college superintendent Dr P Anilkumar agreed before the Minister to open one of the closed operation theatres at the medical college and devote it for cancer surgeries of the cancer centre.

This was after the Minister found that seven operation theatres are remaining closed at the medical college while five function, at a meeting with the authorities of the General Hospital, Medical College and Cancer Centre at the IMA House on Thursday. The Minister told the Superintendent curtly that facilities and service of the doctors at the medical college should not go unutilized after it was also pointed out that there were 14 anesthetists of which only three were general anesthetists.

The Minister also asked the INKEL officials who were present in the meeting to start the works on the cancer centre building by coming October and the works on the Rs 377 crore medical college project by coming September. She also asked INKEL to complete the construction works of General Hospital, Medical College and Cancer Centre by October 2019. Sources said that INKEL is set to entrust the project with a third party. District Collector Muhammed Y Safirulla was also present at the meeting. The meeting, however, failed to discuss the issue of taking up the Kochi Cancer Centre project for Central status with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Saturday’s visit to Kochi.