Nagpur: The Maharashtra government informed the Bombay High Court's Nagpur bench last week that the crucial 30% advance payment required for procurement of a linear accelerator machine for cancer treatment at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) here will be released in June.
Court Hearing on Healthcare Infrastructure
The assurance came during the hearing of a suo motu public interest litigation concerning the deteriorating condition and lack of infrastructure at government medical colleges and hospitals in Vidarbha. A division bench comprising Justices Anil Kilor and Raj Wakode was told that the machine would be dispatched to GMCH only after the required advance funds were made available.
Project Cost Escalation
The linear accelerator machine, considered critical for advanced cancer treatment and radiotherapy, was granted administrative approval in 2018 at an estimated cost of Rs 23.20 crore. However, prolonged delays nearly doubled the project cost to around Rs 45 crore, creating a requirement for an additional Rs 22 crore. During the hearing, the state government informed the court that directions for release of the additional funds were already issued.
Previous Funding and Monitoring
The court was also told that the Nagpur district administration earlier provided Rs 52 crore to GMCH through the District Mineral Foundation and District Planning Committee funds to strengthen medical infrastructure. The High Court has been closely monitoring healthcare deficiencies in government hospitals across Vidarbha through ongoing PIL proceedings, which have repeatedly highlighted shortages of equipment, infrastructure, and specialist facilities.
Legal Representation and Next Hearing
Advocate Anup Gilda appeared as amicus curiae in the matter, while senior counsel Firdos Mirza and additional government pleader Deepak Thakare represented the state. The matter will now be heard after the summer vacation. In a previous hearing, the High Court came down heavily on the state government over delays in installing a linear accelerator machine for cancer treatment, stating that poor patients could not be made to suffer because of administrative indecision and tender disputes.
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