Nagpur: The highest number of oral cancer cases in Maharashtra are found in Nagpur and Central India. Because of this, a large number of cancer patients in central India need the right treatment. For such patients, the government had passed a proposal many years ago to set up a ‘cancer institute’ in a medical hospital.
In March, 2019, the administrative approval of Rs.76.10 crore was given for the construction of a separate system/institution for the treatment of cancer in the GMCH premises. With this expenditure, the construction of the Cancer Institute here was to start in February 2022. The responsibility of construction was given to Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA). NMRDA completed the tender process. The tender was published in January 2022.
However, a shocking fact has come to the fore. Since NMRDA did not receive Rs 20 crore of the first phase, it has cancelled the project itself. Even though the government made a budget of crores of rupees for the purchase of equipment, funds were not received for the building. After this it was decided that this construction would be done by NMRDA. The government had also given administrative approval for this Rs 76 crore project. A contractor was also selected from NMRDA recently after completing the tender process. But on June 6, 2022, the NMRDA cancelled the project saying that they did not have the required manpower and funds.
The contractor was also awarded the work. The funds were to be made available to the government within 120 days from the date of publication of the tender. But, the funds were not made available. Now the fixed period of tender has also elapsed. Therefore, the construction can start only after the fresh tender process for the building of the institute is started.
If the ruling party in the state wants to set up a cancer institute in the GMCH campus, then they will have to take permission from the ‘High Power Committee’. It seems very unlikely?
It is noteworthy that in the year 2012, the then Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had approved the proposal of starting a cancer institute in Nagpur Medical College and Hospital following Dr. Krishna Kamble giving priority to the struggle against cancer. After that BJP came to power in the state. Afterwards, an attempt was made to move the Cancer Institute to Aurangabad, against which Dr. Krishna Kamble moved the court.
The court had in 2017 directed to set up the institute within two years. After that the state government gave an amount of Rs 23 crore for the purchase of equipment in lieu of the construction of the institute. Since there was no building, all the money was lying with Haffkins. In 2019, as soon as the government changed, the construction plan of the institute was approved. The Corona crisis in 2020 has delayed work for two years.
