Cancer Centre: Building ready but where are docs & nurses?

Kochi: Officially inaugurated in Feb this year, even now the Cochin Cancer Research Centre (CCRC) is not fully operational due to severe shortage of health care workers, both doctors and nurses.The long-awaited premier institute was envisioned as a beacon of hope for cancer patients in Central Kerala, who can't afford high cost of treatment in private hospitals. But even after two months of formal inauguration, more than 205 sanctioned posts are vacant. This is not because no one is interested in working here, but it is due to red tapism of govt departments. Though state govt sanctioned these posts almost three months ago, recruitment hasn't taken place yet as the recruitment board has not been constituted. "A formal request to form a recruitment board, a necessary step to begin the hiring process, was submitted on Jan 19. However, the file remains pending at health secretary's office, awaiting final clearance," an official in health department said. Despite repeated attempts the health secretary could not be reached for comments. The vacancies span critical healthcare roles, including specialized doctors, nursing staff and paramedical personnel.While the first lot of 31 posts was sanctioned nearly a decade ago, a significant batch of 161 posts was approved in Jan 2026, and an additional 13 posts sanctioned in March 2026. Despite these approvals on paper, the lack of personnel prevents the CCRC from operating at its intended 451-bed capacity. "The notification of the posts was a crucial step. The authorities should speed up the further process to fill the vacancies at the earliest. The next govt too should take it on a priority basis as it affects hundreds of cancer patients," said Pradeep Purushothaman of Justice Krishna Iyer Movement, which campaigned for the project for the last over a decade. Currently, the institute is providing outpatient consultations and has successfully shifted most departments to the new building. However, operation theatre complex and administrative block are yet to be fully commissioned, largely due to specialized staff shortage.For thousands of patients across Ernakulam and neighbouring districts, CCRC is a vital alternative to Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram or Malabar Cancer Centre, Kozhikode.Recognizing the center's importance, transport authorities bolstered connectivity to Kalamassery campus. KSRTC recently launched a dedicated service from Kattappana, while KMRL extended its feeder services to the hospital gates.The facility is currently operating out of its new, state-of-the-art building complex, constructed at a cost of nearly Rs 450 crore. The first phase began operations with 100 beds.