Kochi: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Saturday announced that the state government had in-principle decided to set up a cancer centre of international standards at Kalamassery medical college campus and further steps for it, including appointing a special officer, would be made soon.
Addressing a meeting of officials and people’s representatives of the district convened at the Ernakulam Town Hall, he said that an expert committee would be constituted comprising eminent doctors to prepare a detailed project report.
However, he said that he was hesitant to proceed with getting Central participation in the project since the state’s request two years ago to upgrade RCC into a national cancer centre and the Malabar Cancer Centre to a Regional Cancer Centre were still pending with the Centre. “If we have to implement the project fast, we have to proceed alone,” he said.
He also said that the coming state budget would have a provision for the cancer centre and it would be independent of the medical college. “Both institutions should be made into the best institutions in the state,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Health Minister V S Sivakumar said that there were over one lakh cancer patients in the state and hence another cancer hospital cum research centre was needed.
Presenting a report at the meet, RCC director Dr Paul Sebastian said that in the last 20 years the incidence of cancer in Kerala had gone up by 50 percent.
