Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal urged the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azaad for seeking early clearance of the outreach centre of PGI at Sangrur to provide the best Health care and diagnostic facilities to the people of the Malwa region.
The Chief Minister called on Azaad at his residence on Monday evening and apprised him that the state government had already identified a land of 25 acres for setting up of this outreach centre of PGI as a premier Health and research institution in Malwa belt. He said the proposed institute would prove to be a milestone for the people residing in the far flung areas of the region who had to now go as far as to Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Jalandhar besides Bikaner in Rajasthan for the treatment of cancer. Badal also apprised the Union Health Minister that the state government had already taken major initiatives in the up-gradation of Health infra structure in Punjab especially in the Malwa belt where there was a high incidence of Cancer as per the study conducted by the PGI. The Punjab government had launched a flagship program to provide free treatment to the Cancer patients and now we were mulling to provide medicines to these patients on subsidised rates. He hoped that this outreach centre of PGI would act as a catalyst to further intensify their efforts to eradicate cancer from the state.The Chief Minister also told Azaad that he was paying focused attention to organise Mega Medical camps across the state to provide an opportunity especially to the under privileged and downtrodden for on the spot medical check up and effective treatment, in case of any ailment. Such camps have already been organized in Sri Muktsar Sahib District and now another two-day camp was being held at Mansa on November 3 and 4. Badal invited the Union Health Minister to preside over this camp to personally see that how popular these camps have became amongst the people.Lauding the efforts of the state government to provide quality Healthcare services to the people, Azaad promised to the Chief Minister that he would certainly get the proposal of PGI outreach centre thoroughly examined so that it could be established at the earliest. Thanking for the invitation extended by Badal, the Union Minister said that he was keen to attend such camps and motivate the people there so that they could be sensitised towards the personal hygiene and healthcare.The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Principal Secretary SK Sandhu, Special Principal Secretary KJS Cheema and Resident Commissioner Punjab K Siva Prasad.