NEW DELHI: For the fourth consecutive time, the tendering process for procuring a linear accelerator machine for radiotherapy at AIIMS’ cancer institute has been cancelled, leaving cancer patients who depend on advanced treatment to confront yet another setback.
The procurement process was called off due to technical reasons, officials said. The AIIMS administration has now restarted the tender process. However, it may take several months before the machines are installed and operational.
The latest tender, floated on September 1 this year, aims to procure two linear accelerator machines at an estimated cost of Rs 70 crore. If the process is completed in the coming months, patients would still face a prolonged wait before they benefit from the new equipment, owing to the extensive safety checks and radiation shielding required before the machines can be made functional.
“Setting up and commissioning such equipment takes time because of strict safety protocols. Even after the process is completed, there will be additional delays before patients can access treatment,” a senior doctor at the institute said.
The procurement effort is not new. AIIMS first initiated the purchase of such a machine in March 2022, but acquisition could not be completed. Subsequent tenders were issued in January 2024, July 2024 and May 2025, all for the procurement of two machines each.