CANCER PATIENTS FLOW INCREASES AT ACI BATHINDA AS “CANCER TRAIN” SUSPENDED DUE TO LOCKDOWN

BATHINDA-Cancer patients in the region are highly affected with the suspension of the Abohar-Jodhpur passenger train special known as “Cancer train” in the region due to lockdown as ongoing patients treatment has been affected as they have not been able to go to Bikaner for their further treatment.

Moreover, cancer treatment is critical due to chemotherapy and timely medication for the recovery of the patient.

jasbir Kaur of Mehna village and Angrej Kaur of Maur, both are suffering from breast cancer and were undergoing treatment from Bikaner, but due to this lockdown they had to get their surgeries done at Advance Cancer Institute at Bathinda.

Even Pawan Kumar of Fazilka, who is suffering from head and neck cancer, was also planning to get his treatment done from the Bikaner, but he was not able to go to Bikaner due to lockdown, so he started his treatment from cancer institute at Bathinda.

The patients who were undergoing the treatments of chemotherapy at Bikaner are most affected as six cycles of the chemotherapy had to be complete within time.

On an average, this train is the lifeline of 100 cancer patients who use to board this train daily for their treatment at Acharya Tulsi Regional Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Bikaner. This train was almost packed to near capacity every-day.

The patients on this train are mostly small farmers from cotton belt in southern districts of Punjab- Mansa, Bathinda, Faridkot, Sanguru, Moga, Muktsar, Ferozepur and Fazilka, who cannot afforest expensive cancer treatment in the Punjab. Although after opening of Advanced Cancer Institute (ACI) at Bathinda, the number of people going at Bikaner has reduced, but still large numbers of patients board this train daily for the treatment.

Moreover, the cancer treatment at ACI at Bathinda has also been affected as its third floor has been converted into COVID-19 ward and even many suspected patients have been admitted there. Due to which even the scheduled surgeries of the cancer patients here have been postponed.

ACI medical superintendent Dr Tarun Arora said “OPD patients flow has increased in recent days as patients who were getting treatments from Bikaner and PGI Chandigarh are now days coming here for the treatment due to lockdown