The Punjab Government would soon launch a vigorous awareness campaign for early detection of cancer with a motto- ‘Cancer is curable, if it is detected in time’.
A decision to this effect was taken by Punjab Chief Minister, Mr. Parkash Singh Badal in a high level meeting with the senior officers of the Health Department.
Taking part in the deliberations, Mr. Badal said that till date the state government had sanctioned about Rs. 23 crore as financial assistance under state illness fund for the treatment of 2020 cancer patents in the state but there were still large number of un reported cancer patients in Punjab. He said that there was a general trend amongst the people to ignore or conceal the health related problems, which leads them to a miserable condition. It was the need of the hour to make people aware by launching an awareness drive through the mass media for educating people about various symptoms of dreaded diseases like cancer, hepatitis, diabetes and stroke etc. to save precious lives by ensuring in time proper health care, said, Mr. Badal.
The Chief Minister called upon different private medical colleges, big private hospitals and non-government organizations (NGOs) to work in unison with the government’s mission to provide timely detection facilities and treatment to the cancer patients. He said that earlier also the concerted efforts of the SAD-BJP had succeeded in launching breast cancer detection drive in collaboration with Roko Cancer Charitable Trust in Faridkot, Ferozepur, Moga and Muktsar, where 569 suspected cases of breast cancer were detected after examining 29171 female. Mr. Badal asked these private health institutes to adopt certain areas as per their convenience for detection and treatment of cancer patients in the state for the sack of humanity.
The Chief Minister further said that he would take up the matter with Centre to provide medicines for the cancer patients at cheaper rates.
Prominent amongst those were present in the meeting included, Principal Secretaries to the Chief Minister Mr. SK Sandhu, Special Principal Secretaries to the Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema, Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar and Mr. KS Pannu, Principal Secretary Finance and Planning Mr. Satish Chandra, Director Health Dr. JP Singh.