Tirur: The new building constructed at the Tirur District Hospital will be dedicated to cancer treatment, confirmed Health Minister Veena George. She made the announcement during the inauguration of the block.

Incidentally, Kurukkoli Moideen, MLA, had asked the minister during his presidential address at the function whether the new building would serve as an oncology block. Speaking later, the minister replied in the affirmative.

Work on the nine-storey building began during the term of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) with a NABARD fund of ₹33.7 crore. The district panchayat later allotted an additional ₹7 crore.

Although it was informally stated when construction began that the building would offer cancer care, the inauguration plaque described it simply as a “new building.” The MLA raised the issue after uncertainty persisted over its status. He also called for advanced cancer treatment facilities, including radiology equipment, to be installed in the block.

A notable aspect of the project’s completion is the role of women leaders. Malappuram district panchayat president M K Rafeeka, speaking at the function, recalled: “Some people commented that women would not be able to ensure the completion of the work and the inauguration of the building. There was a situation where we could not open the building even after the construction was finished.”

Incidentally, the post of Tirur municipal chairperson is also held by a woman. Determined to see the project through before the end of their term, Rafeeka and other women leaders travelled to Thiruvananthapuram several times, wrote numerous letters to secure various clearances, initiated work on the sewage treatment plant, and overcame delays in obtaining the building number due to a pending fire NOC. “We overcame all these hurdles,” she said.