Nuclear Medicine dept at GMC to make SCI-Jammu functional

S.SHEKHAR

JAMMU: After languishing on various pretexts despite being approved by the Union Government five years ago in 2014, the project of prestigious State Cancer Institute at Jammu is now likely to see light of the day in the near future as the SAC has accorded sanction to the establishment of a separate Nuclear Medicine Department at Government Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Jammu.
Pertinently, establishment of Nuclear Medicine Department was mandatory to clear decks for sanction of funds under various components of the scheme by the Union Government that also includes procurement and installation of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan Machine at GMCH Jammu.
It may be recalled that the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS)– “National Programme for prevention and control of Cancer, Diabetes, CVD and Stroke (NPCDCS)” had sanctioned two State Cancer Institutes’ (SCIs) in J&K, one in Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura in Srinagar and other in GMC, Jammu.
SKIMS Soura has received the 1st instalment of Rs 47.25 Crore for establishment of SCI but no funds were released for the one in Jammu owing to various lacunae highlighted by the concerned Union Ministry since its approval time and again.
However, with coming up of a Cancer Care Service in the form of separate Nuclear Medicine Department at GMCH Jammu, the patients now could be able to undergo tests and treatment etc within the State, for which they have to travel miles away much to their inconvenience and incurring heavy costs for advanced treatment.
The SAC’s decision seems to have been taken after taking cognizance of a news story “4 yrs on, State Cancer Institute for Jammu still on papers; cases rising” published in The News Now in its edition dated 3rd December, 2018, wherein it was specifically pointed out that SCIs were sanctioned for the State in 2014 but not even a single penny was released by the Centre for the one in Jammu till date, whereas funds were released for the second one at SKIMS Soura.
The SAC also accorded creation of 13 posts of various categories comprising 05 posts of faculty members, 03 posts of Registrar / Medical Officer and 05 posts of Paramedical staff for Nuclear Medicine Department.