Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Thursday accused the Punjab Congress trying to get the prestigious AIIMS project, slated to come up in Bathinda, cancelled by putting it into litigation.Condemning the “nefarious” attempts of the Congress party to deny access to cover treatment to the people of Malwa region, Harsimrat said that such a policy could deny the very establishment of AIIMS in Punjab. “If Punjab Congress continues with its anti-Punjab activities, the project could be shifted to some other State,” she said.
She asked the Congress leaders of Malwa region to disclose their stand on the issue. “Why are you keeping studied silence…Congress leaders should openly disclose whether they are in favour of the project or not,” she said.“I had proposed AIIMS project for Bathinda on the basis of merit alone. While there is no major medical institution in Malwa belt and particularly Bathinda-Mansa area, there is a surfeit of such hospitals in Doaba belt,” she said.Harsimrat said that Bathinda and Mansa belt was also severely affected by cancer, Hepatitis-B and type-II diabetes. “There are 12 percent cases of fatal diseases in rural and 16 percent in urban areas in this region as compared to the national average of eight and 12 percent respectively. It is a fact that there is an average of 200 to 300 cases with symptoms of Cancer and Hepatitis B in certain villages of Mansa and Bathinda districts. Gehri village in Bathinda district has lost 13 families to cancer,” she pointed.
Describing Malwa as worst-hit belt, the Union Minister said that according to a study conducted in 2013, Malwa had emerged as cancer capital of the state with highest average of 136 cancer patients per one lakh people.As per the data of last five years, there were an average 18 deaths due to cancer each day while there were 23,874 cancer patients in the state and 33,318 lives had been lost in cancer-related deaths during last five years, she said, adding that the study stated that there were nearly 24,000 people confirmed cancer cases in the state and 84,453 people having symptoms of cancer.“There should have no objection to Congress on establishment of AIIMS in Malwa and the Congressmen should avoid politicizing the matter,” she urged.