File photo: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Expressing concern over increase in cases of cancer, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said in Punjab the UPA government is setting up a 'National Cancer Centre' to fight the dreaded disease.
In his brief address in Punjabi, the Prime Minister said that the National Cancer Centre will be linked with zonal and regional cancer centres.
He was addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of Rs 450 crore 'Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre' in Punjab on the outskirts of Chandigarh in Mohali district of Punjab.
The Mullanpur cancer hospital would be developed and established by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) on the lines of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai at a cost of Rs 450 crore, with Prime Minister expressing hope that the project would be completed within next four years.
Dr Singh said the UPA Government was committed to provide world class and affordable health care facilities to combat dreaded diseases like cancer.
"The government wants to provide affordable healthcare to all sections of the society particularly the weaker section," he said.
The Prime Minister said that as many as 27 regional cancer centres have been set up in the country under the National Cancer Control programme of the government.
Besides, Oncology department had been opened up in Medical colleges and regional cancer centres are being set up.
The Prime Minister said that under the centre's National Rural Health Mission, emphasis is being laid on early detection of cancer and its treatment.
"Cancer is one of the prime reason for deaths in the world," Dr Singh said adding that around 13 per cent of deaths in the world take place due to cancer every year. Out of the total deaths taking place in a year due to cancer, 70 per cent are in the developing countries, the Prime Minister said.
"Eleven lakh new cases of cancer are reported every year, while 9 lakh people die of this disease in the country each year and the number is increasing," he said.
Among others present at the occasion today included Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.
State Cancer centres are being set up with the help of state governments, the Prime Minister said adding that under this network state cancer institutions are being set up in government medical colleges at Amritsar and Hoshiarpur in Punjab.
He said that it may not be possible to completely eradicate this disease, but patients can be provided better facilities at affordable rates.
He thanked the Punjab Government for giving 50 acres of land in Mullanpur for this prestigious institute and also lauded the contribution of Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib, Ravneet Singh Bittu for the project.
The institute would provide the best health care and diagnostic facilities to the patients afflicted with cancer in the region.
Once completed, the Mullanpur institute would have 200 doctors, 500 nurses and other paramedical staff and would deal with 10,000 new cases each year while 40,000 old cases would be dealt with each year, the Prime Minister said.
The hospital will have modern facilities for treating cancer and 2,500 operations would be carried out each year.
He said that the institute would not only cater to the people of Punjab, which has witnessed increase in number of cancer cases, but patients from entire north India can take benefit once the hospital is completed.
Prime Minister Singh said that setting up of this cancer hospital in the vicinity of Chandigarh was appropriate since the Union Territory had better connectivity besides having top institute like PGIMER in the vicinity of Mullanpur, whose services can also availed by the patients seeking treatment at Mulanpur.
The Prime Minister also talked about Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research's (PGIMER) Satellite Centre, which is coming up at Ghabdan village, in Punjab's Sangrur district. Its foundation stone was laid by Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in October this year.
The Punjab Government had allocated 25 acres of land for setting up of the Sangrur institute, which will have 300 bedded teaching hospital in the first phase with outreach community health services programme in predominantly rural population.
Among others present on the occasion included Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Punjab's Anandpur Sahib MP Ravneet Singh Bittu, Punjab governor Shivraj V Patil, Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) Director Dr R A Badwe and Atmic Energy Secretary R K Sinha.