J P Nadda for operationalising NCI by April 2018

Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday directed AIIMS administration to take all necessary steps to operationalise the upcoming National Cancer Institute by April 2018.

The 154th meeting of the governing body and 150th Meeting of the institute body of AIIMS, which took place here on Friday is also learnt to have agreed upon increasing the retirement age of AIIMS faculty members to 67 from 65, sources said.

However, the development could not be confirmed. Top health ministry officials did not respond to queries.

Sources also said the new age limit proposal does not apply to the AIIMS director.

"Chaired the 154th meeting of the Governing Body and 150th Meeting of the Institute Body of AIIMS, Delhi.

"Directed the AIIMS administration to take all steps necessary to operationalise the National Cancer Institute by April 2018," Nadda said in a series of tweets.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coming up in Jhajjar, Haryana will be equipped with top medical facilities, including a first-of-its-kind tissue repository, and plans are afoot for conducting research there on cancers which are more specific to India.

Nadda had recently said that the government was setting up two National Cancer Institutes, one in Jhajjar, at the cost of Rs 2,035 crore, which will be completed by March 2018 and commissioned in July that year.

Nadda also reviewed the progress of the AIIMS transformation project during the meeting.

"Happy that the Phase I of the project has benefited over 35 lac patients," he said.