KOCHI: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has promised all possible help to the proposed Cancer Centre in Kochi so that the project becomes a reality.
On Wednesday members of Justice V Krishna Iyer Movement met the Chief Minister and held discussions with him regarding the Cancer Centre.
“The project will come to fruition after several delays and hiccups. We met the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan mainly to thank the government for its efforts in making the Cancer Centre project a reality. We hope the project will be implemented in a time bound manner,” said, Dr N K Sanil Kumar of Justice V Krishna Iyer Movement.
Seen as the first major step towards realising the project, it had been decided to begin the out-patient services in the first week of November. Last week Health Minister K K Shailaja said that a detailed project report prepared by the Hospital Service Consultancy Corporation (HSCC) will be submitted to Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). According to officials, the first phase of the project includes construction of a 150 bed structure among other facilities at a cost of Rs 460 crore. Once the government gives administrative sanction, the first phase will be completed in two years time, officials said.
A total of 12.12 acres have been earmarked for the Cancer Centre in the campus of the Government Medical College. A new block constructed on the campus has been identified as the OP section.
On August 18, 2014, the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had laid the foundation stone for the Cancer Centre. However, the project got delayed.