ROKO cancer initiative in a limbo

Staff Correspondent

Shillong, April 3: After the dereliction of the prescribed duties by ROKO cancer detection mobile units, questions are now being raised on whether the new building with the same intention, located at Shillong Civil Hospital fall in the same category.  There is virtually no answer as to why government schemes are getting cancerous despite fund being earmarked for the same. 

On being asked, Additiol Chief Secretary PW Ingti provided a two-fold answer. Firstly, he said that the ROKO cancer initiative faltered because there were interl problems within the the Roko  Cancer Charitable Trust that  led to delinking of the mission. Ingti said that the NGO that entered into collaboration with the Government of Meghalaya, adding that the matter  is presently under review while indicating that the  trust ‘unsettled issues’ will prompted the government to take rightful actions. On the question on why the cancer hospital could not take off , the Additiol Chief Secretary said , while the building has been long completed, lack of human resources and other equipment led to the delay. “We need specialized human resources and other equipment to back up further to what we have procured or acquired,” stated Ingti, while insinuating that the Shillong Civil Hopital Cancer Centre will continue to take its own time to really see the light of the day.

Amidst the rise of incidence of cancer in the state, the demand for a speciality hospital is need of the hour. Reserchers indicated that stomach and liver cancer are more commonly occurring in Meghalaya.