The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday issued notices to Punjab, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, and Punjab Health Systems Corporation on a petition filed in public interest, seeking cashless treatment to cancer patients.
Punjab Government at present provides financial help of Rs 1.50 lac for treatment. But after the exhaustion of this amount, the patient is left to his fate. The PIl is seeking treatment for cashless treatment for cancer patient till they are completely cured.
Taking up the petition filed by advocate HC Arora, the Division Bench of Justice S.S. Saron and Justice lisa Gill also fixed September 27 as the next date of hearing.
Arora submitted in the court that Punjab CM Cancer Relief Fund Scheme provided cashless treatment in recognized hospitals to cancer patients belonging to Punjab. Once Rs 1.50 lakh provided under the scheme are spent, the patient is left without further cashless treatment. If the patient belongs to BPl family, he can avail financial assistance under another Nirogi scheme but the process takes time resulting in discontinuance of treatment.
The petitioner submitted that the scheme did not provide free diagnosis to cancer patients. The benefit of cashless treatment was given, when the patient started getting treatment after being diagnosed. Thus, it takes long for the poor patients to get diagnosed as the expenses of diagnosis range between 25 to 35 thousand. He pleaded that the government was duty-bound to bear expenses of diagnosis of the cancer patient belonged to a BPl family.
Arora contended that giving up treatment midway amounted to cruelty. The benefit of cashless treatment should continue under the scheme till he fully recovers. This was particularly desirable in case of cancer patients belonging to BPl and other poor families. He also pleaded that benefit of cashless treatment should be made available in case of relapse.