The State Cabinet on Wednesday accorded administrative sanction for the Cochin Cancer and Research Centre (CCRC) thereby ending a year-long uncertainty over its structure, funding pattern and work coordination.
As per the Cabinet decision, the CCRC, estimated to cost Rs.480 crores, will be implemented in three stages. The first stage will primarily offer outpatient services, while the second phase envisages establishing 150-bed hospital followed by another 150-bed hospital and research centre in the third phase.
The outpatient wing will start functioning from a convenient building in the Government Medical College, Ernakulam. A society, modelled after the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cancer Centre, will be established.
Nodal officer
The Cabinet also decided to appoint a nodal officer to coordinate the preliminary work for establishing the outpatient wing, including construction of building, appointment of staff and purchase of equipment. The Cabinet decided to utilise the Rs.10 crores offered by Kerala State Beverages Corporation for the centre’s preliminary work, including payment of consultancy fee to Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation, a Central PSU.
The loan facility offered by the Ernakulam District Cooperative Bank on government guarantee will also be utilised for setting up the CCRC under the auspices of the proposed society.
Year-long delay
The foundation stone for the centre was laid more than a year ago, August 19, 2014 to be precise. But unfortunately the relevant files for the establishment of the centre ended up in blind alley related to its financials.
The government had appointed Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation to prepare the detailed project report.
The government also appointed Dr. V.P. Gangadharan as special officer, along with Asha Thomas, an IAS officer as another special officer. (According to sources, the Cabinet, in order to ensure better coordination, has now decided to retain Dr. Gangadharan’s services as technical advisor, while Ms. Thomas will hold additional charge as nodal officer).
Funds withheld
The Finance Department refused to release the funds for preliminary work because it did not have administrative sanction and the necessary budget allocation.
This was followed by the Health Department’s suggestion that the project could be implemented on an annuity model. It was decided to carry out a comparative study of the Thiruvananthapuram and Malabar Cancer Centres, prior to deciding on the structure to be adopted.
The Finance Department once against objected to the project proposal and refused to give government guarantee on grounds that it was not clear how the cancer centre would repay the loans it proposed to take.
It required the Chief Minister to convene yet another meeting on July 24 too sort out differences and put the proposal back on rail.
The foundation stone for the centre was laid more than a year ago.
