After years of delay and uncertainty, the State Government has once again reaffirmed its approval for establishing a Kidwai Cancer Memorial Institute hospital in Belagavi. The project, originally sanctioned in 2022 to cater to cancer patients from North Karnataka, has also received a financial allocation of ₹50 crore.

The cancer hospital will now be constructed within the premises of the District Hospital, Belagavi. This decision has been formally confirmed by the district administration, with hospital authorities indicating that site mapping work will begin shortly.

Earlier, the hospital was proposed at the Taluka Health Department premises in Vadgaon. Subsequently, plans were considered to locate both the district hospital and the cancer hospital on a single campus. Space within the Belagavi Institute of Medical Sciences (BIMS) was also explored, but the proposal failed due to insufficient land availability, leading to prolonged delays.

Confirming the latest development, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Roshan stated that a suitable site has now been identified within the district hospital campus. He added that BIMS will finalise the layout plan and commence the project in the near future.

The issue had repeatedly drawn attention at various forums, including the Winter Session of the Karnataka Legislature in 2024, where legislators raised concerns over the absence of a dedicated cancer hospital in a large and medically burdened district such as Belagavi. The matter was revisited in 2025 during a district development meeting at Suvarna Soudha, chaired by Guardian Minister Satish Jarkiholi. At the meeting, a decision was taken to proceed with construction at the district hospital site, and the district administration formally agreed to provide the required land.

While the latest announcement resolves the long-standing question of location, the focus must now shift to timely execution. Belagavi has been waiting since 2022 for this vital healthcare facility. With approvals, funding, and land now in place, any further delays would be hard to defend. What patients urgently need is a fully functional hospital—not yet another promise.