By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 22: Adding to Meghalaya’s dejection, the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) has revealed that the number of cancer incidence in the state has increased by 30 per cent from 1,248 in 2014 to 1,621 in 2018.
The CAG report on the performance audit of the district hospitals for 2018-2019 fiscal discerned that “oesophagus/oesophageal cancer with 30 per cent, followed by oral (16 per cent) and hypopharynx (seven per cent) cancer, all associated with the use of tobacco also known as Tobacco Related Cancer (TRC), were the three common cancer cases in the state”.
During the period 2014-2019, East Khasi Hills led the charge with 64 per cent of the total number of cancer deaths during the time frame, followed by Jaintia Hills (14 per cent), Ri Bhoi (13 per cent) and West Khasi Hills (nine per cent), the report stated.
As per the CAG report, the department had not provided sub health centres/primary health centres/community health centres for screening of common non-communicable diseases for the early detection and treatment of cancer.
“Due to serious negligence on the part of the implementing authority, the Cancer Treatment Centre (CTC) at Civil Hospital, Shillong, could not be completed despite funds of Rs 26.16 crore being made available by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Government of India,” the CAG report stated.
The CAG, in its report, informed that the scrutiny of records of the State Cancer Society, Meghalaya, showed that cancer hospital at Shillong was far from being completed as of January 2020.
The reasons for the delay in commencement of the work and delays in completion of project were attributed to the delay in vacating the occupants from the site as well as in dismantling the old building at the site identified for construction of the cancer hospital building, the report stated. “The total expenditure incurred was only Rs 9.77 crore (Utilisation Certificates for the amount furnished to the Government of India) out of Rs 19.84 crore received by the state,” the CAG stated.
The report highlighted that due to non-completion of the main cancer hospital building, the required equipment was also not purchased and the cancer hospital was non-functional till February, 2020, despite availability of funds.
It further observed that the inordinate delay in completion of the cancer hospital in the state, which has high incidence of cancer cases, “reflects serious negligence on the part of the implementing authority (state cancer authority) for which the state government needs to fix responsibility and take appropriate action against those responsible for the delay”.
Citizens in Meghalaya, over the course of years, have scuttled across states fro cancer treatments due to the absence of advanced cancer care facilities and institutions.
While those that can afford the treatment move out of the state to avail better treatment, others invariably have to remain in the state and experience a nightmare.
Some even hope and pray that Meghalaya will one day have good cancer hospitals with experienced cancer specialists, but the question is when?