Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, which has got the green signal to start a kidney transplant facility, is set to get Rs 30 crore from the state government to upgrade its Regional Cancer Centre to a state cancer institute.
Health minister Tej Pratap, on his first visit to IGIMS on its 33rd foundation day on Friday, said the health department would soon release the fund meant for upgrading the cancer institute.
According to an agreement signed between the central and state governments, the Centre will provide 75 per cent of the Rs 120-crore cancer institute project, and the state will bear the rest of the cost.
Within the next three days, the authorisation committee constituted under the Transplantation of Human Organs Act by the health department will give its nod to IGIMS to start the kidney transplant unit, principal secretary (health) R.K. Mahajan announced. That means IGIMS will become the first hospital in the state to provide the kidney transplant facility.
Addressing the IGIMS doctors, Tej Pratap asked them to carry out their duty honestly and said the department will provide them every support.
The hospital organised a health exhibition, which the health minister inaugurated. He visited the various wings of the hospital and was there for an hour.
IGIMS director N.R. Biswas, addressing the foundation day programme, talked about the recent achievements of the health facility. He also made it a point to bring the health minister’s attention to the fund crisis faced by the hospital at present.
“IGIMS is the first among all private and government health facilities to start an eye bank. It is the first government hospital to start a cath lab. However, crisis of funds is a major issue. Of the Rs 540-crore medical college project, the state government was supposed to provide Rs 145 crore in the first phase but has released Rs 45 crore. The construction firm has told us that they cannot finish the project on time because of lack of funds,” said Biswas.
Tej Pratap and Mahajan assured Biswas of releasing the funds soon.
Established in 1983, IGIMS was supposed to be developed on the lines of All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Delhi. After so many years, the hospital is still just has a 36-bed emergency wing and a nine-bed intensive care unit.
