The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has sanctioned Rs.25.03-crore grant-in-aid to the Government Medical College Hospital here under the Tertiary Cancer Centre Scheme of the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) for 2014-15.
The amount has been sanctioned by the Cancer Research Section as first instalment of the Union government’s share of non-recurring grants for creation of capital assets plan to the medical college for the purchase of equipment and construction activities under the NPCDCS. Kozhikode MP M.K. Raghavan was informed of this by M.S. Zou, Under Secretary, Union Ministry of Health and Family Planning, on Monday.
The amount may be utilised to purchase high-energy linear accelerators with all accessories with a ceiling price of Rs.17 crore; two modular theatres for Rs.2 crore each; CT scan stimulator (virtual stimulator) for Rs.6 crore, and SPECT Gamma Camera accessories for Rs.4 crore.
This apart, the hospital can also purchase chemotherapy day care equipment, surgical oncology equipment, fully automated biochemical analyser, radiation physics law equipment; establish a fully automated cell counter; or a vehicle for cancer detection and conducting camps.
State’s share Now, the State government will have to ensure that its share of 33.33 per cent (Rs.8.34 crore) is credited into the State Health Society account. The second instalment or the full amount will be released by the Union government only when the State government releases its share and furnishes the utilisation certificate of the first instalment and the audited statement.
However, the grant-in-aid would be subject to terms and conditions such as utilisation certificate with audited statements of accounts. The funds should not be diverted or entrusted to another institution or organisation.
If the medical college is unable to utilise the grant within a stipulated period, the authorities should obtain revalidation from the Union Ministry.
The Union government has envisaged the NPCDCS programme in the wake of non-communicable diseases accounting for over 42 per cent of all deaths in the country. The overall prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, ischaemic heart disease and stroke is 62.47, 159.46, 37, and 1.54 respectively per 1,000 population of India. There are an estimated 25 lakh cancer cases in India.
