Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar assured the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on February 6 that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) is expected to give its nod to allow the construction of Indira Gandhi Medical College Cancer Tertiary unit, coming up in this state capital.

Replying to Asha Kumari's query during the Question Hour, Mr Parmar said adequate steps are being taken for improving treatment facilities for cancer patients in the state. "We are hopeful of getting permission for construction of building for the tertiary care center at IGMC soon," Mr Parmar said.

All formalities regarding setting up of the tertiary care center has been completed and the documents have now been submitted to the NGT, seeking permission for the construction of the building as it falls in Core Area, he added. The NGT had imposed a ban on the construction of multi-storey buildings in Shimla.

Mr Parmar said a sum of Rs 16.52 crore has been sanction for the cancer care center, while a total of Rs 45 crore has been sanctioned for the project in 90:10 ratio by the Central government. Raising the Supplementary, Nurpur BJP MLA Rakesh Pathania put his own government in the dock and took up the issue of lack of cancer care facility in IGMC and chemotherapy facilities at Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda in Kangra district.

''I just came from IGMC, where seven patients suffering from cancer are hospitalised. The condition in the hospital is shocking as more than two patients are being kept on a single bed, " Mr Pathania said. The BJP MLA also said that figure given by the Minister was misleading, as about 200-300 patients are daily coming to cancer hospital at IGMC.

However, the Minister defended himself by saying that there is a 50-bedded ward at IGMC and 21 in Tanda.
He also said that at present, about 100 to 120 patients are coming daily for chemotherapy however average number of patients did not exceed between 50 to 60. Earlier in the House, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur assured that the government is taking adequate steps to curb doctors' shortage in the state and providing quality cancer care to patients is the top most priority of their government.