Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today launched a massive awareness campaign by announcing Ace Cricketer Mr. Yuvraj Singh as brand ambassador for the early detection and timely treatment of cancer at all district level hospitals with an active participation noted Oncologists from leading Cancer hospitals besides NGOs committed to eliminate Cancer from the state.Addressing on the launch of Cancer Screening Campaign held here at Punjab Bhawan this morning, Mr. Badal said that the Punjab Government had chalked out a comprehensive action plan and initiated a war against dreaded Cancer vigorously. Three state-of-the-art Cancer treatment hospitals at Baba Farid Medical University of Health Sciences Faridkot, Medical College Amritsar and Medical College Patiala, had been established and equipped with latest cancer detection and treatment equipment, said Mr. Badal.
The Chief Minister further said that the state government was also establishing a new 400-bedded Cancer Hospital at Mulanpur in collaboration with Bhaba Atomic Research Centre Mumbai (BARC), besides a 100-bedded cancer treatment hospital at Bathinda. Mr. Badal said that the Union Cabinet was expected to clear this project in its next meeting. Taking a leap forward the state government had also established a dedicated fund of Rs. 200 crore for the Cancer treatment in the state, as on date the government was providing Rs. 1.5 lac to each cancer patient for the treatment, said Mr. Badal.
The Chief Minister said earlier under the Cancer awareness program, the government had conducted a widespread door-to-door survey, covering about 27 million people across the state to register cancer cases and now a Massive Cancer Screening Camp in all the 22 districts of Punjab would be organized on 28th & 29th September, 2013. Referring to the general trend amongst the people of ignoring the health related problems, which leads them to a miserable condition, Mr. Badal said that 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 especially the cancer, to save precious lives by ensuring timely health care facilities to the persons inflected with Cancer in the initial stage, said, Mr. Badal.
The Chief Minister also appreciated that the young Cricketer Mr. Yuvraj Singh who himself had also gone through this agony and recovered bravely was actively participating in this campaign to sensitize the people about the ill effects of Cancer and its cure. Mr. Badal said that he had also undergone the trauma of Cancer in his own family as he had lost his father and wife due to it. He also called upon the private health institutions like Max healthcare and non-government organizations (NGOs) like Roko Cancer and Rani Breast Cancer (RBC) to work in unison with the government’s mission to eradicate the cancer from the state.
The Chief Minister also asked the Health department to chalk out the modalities to provide the medicines for the treatment of Cancer at subsidized rates.On this occasion, Mr. Yuvraj Singh also called upon the people to visit these camps being organized at all the district head quarters for their health checkup in order to rule out the possibilities of Cancer. If detected earlier Cancer could be cured 100%, adding Yuvraj said he had faced the problem of cancer courageously although he was too shaken, when detected. Prominent amongst those were present included Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare Mrs. Vini Mahajan, Special Principal Secretary to CM Mr. Gaggandip Singh Brar, Secretary Health Mr. Hussan Lal and Director Health Mr. Ashok Nayyar, besides Managing Director and CEO, Max Healthcare Dr. Ajay Bakshi and other Oncologists.