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| The RIMS |
Imphal, July 27 : The delay in construction of a building at Manipur’s premier healthcare institute caused by alleged threats from militant groups, stands in the way of the installation of an imported cancer treatment machine.
The Rs 2.34-crore sophisticated Tele Cobalt, made in Canada, is gathering dust in one corner of one of the corridors of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences and could rust out as construction of the building on the institute’s campus is yet to be completed.
The machine, used in breaking tumours with rays, reached the institute in June last year.
The blueprint for the building was prepared by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, and the state-of-the-art machine was supplied by Mumbai-based Kirloskar.
A team from Kirloskar inspected the condition of the machine and also construction of the building a few days back and found that only the foundation of the building was complete.
The team “warned” the officials of the institute that if the machine could not be installed and did not start functioning in three months’ time, it would become useless.
The director of the institute, L. Fimate, today told the media that the contract for the building was awarded to a Manipuri.
He could not complete it because of “interference” by various armed organisations, Fimate said but did not name any organisation.
Neither did Fimate disclose the nature of interference.
He said when the machine was brought here, RIMS was the first institute in the country to receive the state-of-the-art equipment.
The institute also could not construct a dharmasala (guesthouse) because of similar situations, the director said.
Fimate appealed to everybody to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the smooth functioning of the healthcare institute.