Chandigarh, 3 January: Vini Mahajan Principal Secretary Health here today on the occasion of World Cancer Day (4th Feb) reiterated that State Government is committed to provide better prevention and treatment facilities for cancer in the State. She said that already relief of Rs. 1.5 Lakh is given to the cancer patients under the Chief Minister Punjab Cancer Relief Fund through 16 Govt. and Private hospitals empanelled under the scheme. She said that 95 drugs for treatment of cancer are provided on subsidized rates. The State Government with the help of Tata Memorial Research Centre Mumbai has established Homi Bhaba Cancer Hospital, Treatment and Research Centre at Sangrur, where various facilities of treatment of the cancer is already operational. In the last year 177 cancer patients have availed treatment facilities in this hospital. Similarly OPD services have been made operational in the Cancer Hospital at Bathinda. She stated that Government of India has already approved in principle, the Tertiary Care Cancer Hospital at Fazilka and Hoshiarpur, which shall be started soon. The cancer treatment facilities in the three Medical Colleges of the State have also been straightened with modern equipment and infrastructure. A State Cancer Institute is being established at Government Medical College Amritsar at a cost of Rs. 150 Crores. Under the NPCDCS programme, 14 districts have been covered for special cancer awareness and screening, whereas the remaining district would also be covered in the coming financial year. She said that this initiative which will further help in prevention of the disease to great extent.
Ms. Mahajan added that with the help of Indian Council of Medical Research, a population based cancer registry at Govt. Medical College Patiala has been established. Similarly, with the help of Tata Memorial Center Mumbai, cancer registries have been established in districts of Mansa, Sangrur, SAS Nagar and Chandigarh. A Cancer registry has also been established at PGI Chandigarh.