Shot in the arm for Punjab’s ‘cancer belt’ as Bathinda gets cancer treatment centre

Dubbed as ‘cancer belt’ of the state, Malwa region got a shot in the arm in its fight against the chronic disease with the inauguration of Advanced Cancer Research and Diagnostic (ACRD) centre in Bathinda on Thursday.
Constructed with a cost of Rs 115 crore, the centre has state of art facilities for cancer diagnosis, treatment and research, which will also cater to cancer patients from Haryana and Rajasthan.
Speaking on the occasion, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal said ACRD centre would reverse the trend of cancer patients from the Malwa belt approaching cancer hospitals in other states for their treatment.
Earlier, with no facility for the treatment, the cancer patients often visited the Acharaya Tulsi Regional Cancer Treatment and Research Institute in Bikaner in Rajasthan.
“The advanced cancer treatment would impart quality cancer treatment to people at par with TMC (Tata Memorial Centre), Mumbai. Moreover, the experts will carry minute research so as to come out with reasons behind this fatal disease”, Badal said.
He said besides it, the quality cancer treatment facilities were provided at Amritsar, Patiala, Faridkot and Sangrur.
Meanwhile, union cabinet minister for food processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal said such a centre was needed for the people of region, battling with cancer disease.
She said that the government was also planning to open nine such centres across the state in near future.
Surjit Kumar Jyani, state’s health minister said the government was trying to provide treatment for cancer at nearest locations. “The government has disbursed Rs 401 crore to about 32,000 cancer patients under chief minister’s cancer relief fund so far,” he said.
Badal said that the state government would soon start a new scheme to provide healthcare diagnostic services to the people at their doorsteps.
Regarding announcement of fast onto death by Congress leader Sunil Jakhar over SYL issue, Badal asked Jakhar to answer three questions including who approved the Satluj Yamuna Link (SYL) canal project, who laid the foundation of this project and who rejoiced and welcomed the opening of SYL canal.