Reiterating the commitment of the SAD-BJP government to eradicate cancer from the roadmap of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal today said that their government has begun the ‘crusade’ against this fatal disease by providing quality Health services to the people. Addressing the gathering after inaugurating the second state level Mega Medical camp here today, the Chief Minister said that the state government was fully sensitive towards the agonies faced by the people fighting with this deadly disease, due to which a number of initiatives have been taken by them to give relief to cancer patients. Mr Badal categorically said that it was the bounden duty of the SAD-BJP government to make efforts for tackling this fatal disease which has made deep inroads in the state in general and Malwa region in particular adding that the top priority of the state government was to ensure early detection of this disease along with timely treatment to the patients suffering from it. The Chief Minister said that in order to provide world class treatment to cancer patients an ultra modern hospital on the lines of Tata Cancer hospital Mumbai would come up soon at Medicity in Mullanpur near Chandigarh, for which the state government has already allocated 50 acres of land. Likewise he said that the Baba Farid Health University would soon open a Cancer treatment centre at Bathinda for which Rs 60 crore has been already allotted to them by the state government adding that one such centre had already been opened by the University at Faridkot. Lauding the role being played by the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC) in fighting against this disease, the Chief Minister said that a hospital run by the committee at Amritsar was also treating the cancer patients effectively. The Chief Minister further said that not only this but the state government was trying to rope in more Health projects in the state and likewise they have urged the Union government to set up an outreach centre of the PGI, Chandigarh in Sangrur for which the state government would provide the required land. Similarly he said that due to the persistent efforts of the state government, the Union government has also approved the setting up of a satellite centre of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the Malwa region. Mr Badal hoped that these two centers would be instrumental in providing the quality health services to the people in general and in tackling the menace of Cancer in particular. The Chief Minister reiterated that realizing well that the cost of the medicines of this disease was very high; the state government has decided to launch a scheme for providing subsidized medicines to the cancer patients. He also said that apart from it the state government has also relaxed the procedure to get relief under the Chief Minister’s Cancer relief fund. Mr Badal said that according to new provision the hospitals treating Cancer in the state have been directed to treat the patients suffering from the disease on priority and inform the state government as soon as the patient arrives in the hospital. He said that the state government would ensure free treatment to needy patients by bearing the expenses of these patients. Striking an emotional chord with the people the Chief Minister said that he had lost his father and wife due to the cancer, so he was well aware of the agony of the person suffering from this lethal disease. However he said that the ill effects of this disease could be ably prevented by diagnosing it at early stage. “I urge all the Punjabis to opt for early diagnose of every ailment by shunning their chronic habit of concealing the disease for making a healthy and hygienic state” added Mr Badal. The Chief Minister further said that in order to provide quality health services to the people, the state government would revitalize the Health infra structure in the coming years. He said that they have already started the process of recruitment of the requisite staff in the Hospitals besides upgrading the infra structure in the government hospitals adding that special focus was being laid by them to provide quality Health services in the rural areas for which it has been mandatory that every new recruiting officer in the Health department would have to serve for atleast three years in rural areas. He also said that even special incentives were in offering for the doctors working in rural and backward areas. Earlier in her address Lok Sabha MP from Bathinda Mrs Harsmirat Kaur Badal lauded the initiative of the state government to provide quality Health services to the people at their doorsteps. She said that only a mass leader like Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal could imagine that owing to high rates of treatment it has became impossible for a common man to get cured for any type of ailment due to which he has started this program of providing quality health services to people under one roof. Making a scathing attack on the UPA government, Mrs Badal said that it was ironical that though despite of limited funds the state government was making all out efforts to provide free treatment to the common people but on the other hand the Union government, which had endless funds at its disposal had never bothered to take any such step. Rather she said that the Ministers of the UPA government were busy in amassing huge wealth by openly plundering the tax payer’s money.
Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Cabinet Minister Mr Madan Mohan Mittal, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Mrs Navjot Kaur Sidhu and Bibi Mohinder Kaur Josh, Rajya Sabha MP Mr Balwinder Singh Bhunder, MLAs Mr Chatin Singh Samao and Mr Prem Mittal, former MLA Mr Mangat Rai Bansal, Principal Secretary Health Mrs Vinnie Mahajan, Principal Secretary Medical Education Mrs Anjali Bhanwra, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr KJS Cheema and SAD leader Mr Om Parkash Sharma.