SHILLONG: Six years after the foundation stone was laid, the cancer wing at Shillong civil hospital, which has already been constructed, is yet to become functional.
An official source said on Sunday that while the construction of the building and other civil works have been completed, electric connection is awaited.
The Health Department has already paid MeECL the required amount for electrification.
After electrification, the next process will be inspection by a team from the Department of Atomic Energy, which is funding the Rs 26-crore project, to ensure that the equipment are safely installed.
Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had laid the foundation stone for the cancer wing in March 2011. The time for completion was two years.
Earlier in 2015, a team from the Department of Atomic Energy had pulled up the State government for the delay.
Sophisticated equipment worth Rs 15 crore would be used to provide better medical facilities to the cancer patients.
Once operational, the cobalt machine, which is currently set up at the Shillong civil hospital and used for radiation therapy, will be shifted to the cancer wing.
For the last five years, as many as 5,593 patients received treatment at the civil hospital.
Cancer patients from different parts of the North East throng the civil hospital for treatment.
