Mandya’s 200-bed cancer hospital remains non-operational despite the completion of its building and installation of medical equipment, leaving patients from the district and neighbouring areas dependent on specialised treatment in Mysuru, Bengaluru and other cities.
The Tertiary Cancer Care Centre at Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) is awaiting clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), which is required before the facility can begin cancer diagnosis and treatment services involving radiation equipment. Government approval for most of the hospital’s 219 sanctioned posts is also pending.
MIMS director Dr Narasimhaswamy said AERB approval was expected within three weeks. The centre could become operational two to four months after receiving the clearance and recruiting additional staff, he said. Five technicians and two physicists have already been recruited.
The facility’s building was completed on December 5, 2025, after a project that began on January 5, 2018. The work encountered several administrative and technical delays, including revised estimates, site clearance, transformer approval, underground drainage and electrical cable works, tree shifting and construction-related issues.
The project received Rs 50.6 crore in funding. This comprised the approved project cost of Rs 45 crore and an additional grant of Rs 5.6 crore. Although the physical infrastructure and equipment are now in place, the remaining regulatory and staffing steps have prevented the centre from opening to patients.
The delay has kept Mandya’s patients reliant on larger healthcare centres outside the district for specialised cancer care. The distance involved can add travel, accommodation and other expenses for families seeking repeated consultations, diagnostic procedures and treatment, although the report does not provide figures for the number of patients currently travelling out of Mandya.
The project has also been the subject of repeated official assurances. During a visit to MIMS in July 2024, medical education and skill development minister Sharan Prakash R Patil had said the hospital would be completed within three months. In April 2025, Mandya MLA Ganiga Ravikumar raised the issue in the legislative assembly, after which the minister assured that funds would be provided to expedite the work.
With the building completed, the next steps are the AERB inspection and clearance, approval and recruitment for the remaining posts, and preparation for the hospital’s commissioning. MIMS has indicated that services are expected to begin two to four months after these requirements are met.
