NGT ban stalls IGMC cancer treatment centre

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 10

The fate of the Rs 45-crore Tertiary Cancer Treatment Centre of the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here hangs in balance as the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban on all new constructions in the state capital is hampering the construction of the building.

Even as the next hearing in the case is scheduled on July 16, the threat of the fund getting lapsed if not utilised by March 31, 2019, looms large.

The grant for a new cancer treatment centre had come as a big hope for patients, who had been suffering due to the absence of the high-energy accelerator machine, costing Rs 25 crore. The patients had to either go to the PGI, Chandigarh, or end up spending Rs 2 lakh at private cancer treatment centres outside the state, doctors said.

The IGMC and regional cancer treatment centre authorities have just eight months left to upgrade it to the tertiary cancer treatment centre. “If we fail to use the Rs 45 crore meant for the project by March 31, 2019, the funds will be lapsed,” revealed the doctors.

As many as 500 patients, who suffer from cancer, need the treatment therapy every year in Shimla. “The patients have to go to the PGI, Chandigarh, where the waiting period for the therapy is one-and-a-half month,” said Dr Manish Gupta, head of the Regional Cancer Centre.

Dr Gupta said they had requested the PWD to scale down the project so that they do not need to obtain the NGT permission and only one or two trees have to be cut for the new radiation-proof building. The Cabinet could give it the permission to fell two trees. “We have brought both cases to the notice of the state government to speed up the project so that we can place order for buying the accelerator,” he said.

“The NGT should exempt hospitals, schools and other public institutions from the ban on new constructions,” said cancer patients.

“We can pinpoint the exact cancerous spot through CT linear accelerator while a simulator enables us to focus on radiotherapy of the affected part avoiding radiation and exposure to the other part,” Dr Gupta said.

Health Minister Vipin Parmar said the government would approach the NGT seeking exemption for the cancer project.

Options being explored

• The PWD has been requested that the project be scaled down so that the authorities do not need to obtain the NGT permission
• The permission for a new cancer treatment centre has come as a big hope for patients, who have been suffering due to the absence of the high-energy accelerator machine, costing Rs 25 crore
• Patients have to either go to the PGI, Chandigarh, or end up spending Rs 2 lakh at private cancer treatment centres