Top

Sivakumar gets project report

Move for cancer centre gets a boost.

Kochi: The director of the Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram,Dr. Paul Sebastian, has submitted a project report to the health minister V.S. Sivakumar regarding a cancer centre at Kochi, bringing the project one step closer to realisation.

Sivakumar told Deccan Chronicle on Sunday that as the RCC director had submitted the report, the government could speed up the project.

The minister said, “In all probability, the 35 acres at the Kochi Co-operative Medical College campus will be utilised for it. But it won't be part of the medical college.”

There have been allegations that the minister has been indifferent to the requirement of a cancer centre in Kochi.

Sivakumar said that he had discussed the proposal with the health secretary also and measures will be taken to not allow the Rs 5 crore allotted for the centre in the last budget to lapse.

The health minister also made a telephone call to Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer, who has been spearheading the campaign for the cancer centre, and promised to meet him soon to discuss the matter.

There were allegations that the minister earlier refused to attend a call from Iyer.

When a delegation led by former Ernakulam district collector K. R. Viswambharan had called on finance minister K. M. Mani recently to press for funds for the cancer centre, he reportedly told them that the health ministry was yet to use Rs 5 crore sanctioned in the last budget for setting up the centre. He said that he can sanction more funds if the Health Department gave a proposal and project report.

( Source : dc )
Next Story