Shillong, Feb 4: The Cancer wing at Civil Hospital in the city has been delayed for a decade now despite the high prevalence of the disease in Meghalaya.

Now, after a decade, the state Government aims that the much-awaited project will finally see the light of the day as the state celebrates 50 years of statehood.

Health Minister AL Hek said, “We want to make it operational, so this will be one of the major projects to be inaugurated in celebration of the golden jubilees of our statehood.”

Stating that the project halt in 2020 due to the pandemic, the health Minister said, last week he has reviewed the project and has directed that the work for completion can begin now as there is a dip in the coronavirus cases in the state.

“It is almost 95 percent completed but due to the temporary makeshift they have made it for the Corona wards or Corona care center due to that reason we could not take up the work now,” Hek said.

The construction of the wing started in 2011 with a funding of Rs 26 crore from the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.

In 2015, a team from the Department of Atomic Energy had pulled up the state government for the delay.

Sophisticated equipment will be used to provide better medical facilities to patients.

The State Health Minister hoped that this cancer wing with the state-of-the-art-equipment would commission soon for the benefit of patients.

The cancer wing is the need of the hour in the state in view of high cases of cancer in Meghalaya and in the North East region.