Punjab Government has prescribed subsidy on anti-cancer medicines. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday asked the health authorities to inject a dosage of subsidy so that medicines for cancer treatment are available to the patients at affordable rates.
Observing that cancer treatment involves high expenditure owing to expensive medicines, Badal asked the health authorities and empanelled hospitals to chalk out the modalities for providing the same at subsidised rates. Badal also pointed out that he had noticed at Faridkot's Baba Farid University that the chemist shops were charging more money that the shops outside.
The Chief Minister asked the Principal Secretary, Health, Vinni Mahajan to get in touch with the hospitals concerned and sign a memorandum of understanding with them to give them some money in advance and, in turn, they would provide us with medicines at subsidised rates. Agreeing, Mahajan told The Pioneer that the department was already in the process of providing the medicines at subsidised at all Jan Aushadhi stores across the State.
Waging a war against cancer, the Chief Minister maintained that the State Government was making concerted efforts to combat cancer and appealed to the people not to ignore its early warning signs. He also claimed that, in the coming year, the State would strengthen its infrastructure to the highest specialised level so that people from other parts would come here for treatment. "By next year, you will find that Punjab will have specialised treatment for cancer and people from different parts of the country and even abroad will come to the State to get treatment," he said.
Maintaining that the State government was chalking out a comprehensive action plan to combat cancer, Badal said that soon two modern cancer diagnostic and treatment centres would be set up at Amritsar and Patiala, and already prime land in Mullanpur near Chandigarh had been transferred for setting up world class cancer hospital on the lines of Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital in Mumbai.
"This 400-bed hospital project is currently awaiting nod of the Union Cabinet, and would be cleared in the next meeting," he added. Besides, a 100-bed hospital under Baba Farid University will be completed in December in Bathinda. Announcing the two-day cancer screening camps on September 28 and 29 across the State, Badal pressed upon the early detection of the deadly disease for treatment.
Besides, a 100-bed hospital under Baba Farid University will be completed in December in Bathinda. Announcing the two-day cancer screening camps on September 28 and 29 across the State, Badal pressed upon the early detection of the deadly disease for treatment. "It is a habit among the Punjabis to sit over the warning signs of a disease till it reaches the advanced stage. People should not delay cancer treatment," he said.
"Cancer is curable. If the disease is treated early, people can get cured. I will give my own example. Twenty years back, I too had this complaint of cancer. I got treatment from USA and got fully cured. Sadly, my father and my wife fell prey to cancer," said Badal, accompanied by cancer survivor and ace cricketer Yuvraj Singh.
Badal added, "The name of this disease sends chill down the spine and family comes under great stress, but there is no need to lose hope. The only thing is that people should not delay treatment."
"Yuvi (Yuvraj) is sitting amongst us. He went through great pain. We used to pray for him. Now, I see his matches, he hits sixes. If he can hit sixes, everyone else too can hit sixes," Badal said, while appealing to the people of the State to visit these camps on Saturdays and Sundays and get themselves checked.
Punjab Government has partnered with Max Healthcare and other hospitals to hold a cancer screening camp in 22 districts of the State on September 28-29 where top oncologists from across the country, and also from abroad will be available at the district hospitals and three medical colleges of Amritsar, Patiala and Faridkot University.
Yuvraj, who overcame the dreaded disease only recently, too emphasised on early detection of cancer. "People should visit these camps for their health checkup in order to rule out the possibilities of cancer. If detected earlier, cancer could be cured 100 per cent….I had faced the problem of cancer courageously although I was too fearful when detected," he said.