In a bid to provide latest treatment facilities to cancer patients in Punjab, two hospitals would be made functional in Sangrur and Bathinda from next month.
The state-of-the-art Homi Bhabha Cancer Super Specialty Hospital at Sangrur and Advanced Cancer Treatment and Research Center (ACTRC) at Bathinda would be made functional and dedicated to the nation in the last week of January, 2015, an official said.
This decision was taken during a high level meeting of senior officers with a team of experts led by Director, Tata Memorial Center, Dr RA Badwe, chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here on Monday.
Badal was apprised by Badwe that the requisite infrastructure of high end technology along with manpower have been put in place at 50-bedded cancer care facility at Sangrur and 100-bedded at Bathinda, which would be made operational from the first week of January on trial basis and subsequently on regular basis by the third or last week of January.
Dr Badwe also informed the Chief Minister that the construction work on the upcoming prestigious Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Institute at Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) would begin in April, 2015 and would be completed within two years.
Appreciating the efforts of TMC, the Chief Minister mentioned that now Punjab could be aptly adjudged as one of the few leading States which were providing the best and the latest cancer treatment and diagnostic facilities at par with international standards. The Chief Minister also asked the Principal Secretary Health to hasten the pace of establishing the advanced cancer facilities in the Government Medical Colleges at Patiala and Amritsar.
Badal asked the Principal Secretary Housing & Urban Development to ensure hassle free connectivity to Home Bhabha Hospital & Research Institute Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) through the widening and strengthening of the roads and also directed the MD PHSC to tie up with Deputy Commissioner Sangrur to provide residential accommodation to the newly appointed doctors and other staff members at Sangrur.
likewise, Badal also asked the Principal Secretary Power to provide a separate 24x7 hotline to the Sangrur Cancer Super Speciality Hospital within a week. He also gave nod to provide two vehicles to the Sangrur cancer institute for creating awareness amongst the general public of Sangrur and Mansa district about cancer. The Chief Minister also agreed to the request of Dr. Badwe to provide sufficient office space at Punjab Mandi Board complex, Mohali to the team of TMC for the execution of Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) project.