4 years on, Punjab State Cancer Institute not yet operational
AMRITSAR: : The 150-bed Punjab State Cancer Institute in Amritsar is not yet operational even four-and-a-half years after work on the much-needed facility started, forcing the patients of the region to travel to distant places for advanced treatment.
The foundation stone of the ₹ 120 crore institute on the premises of Government Medical College was laid in November 2017 by the then Punjab minister of health and family welfare, research and medical education Brahm Mohindra.
It has missed several deadlines so far. August this year is the new deadline, Dr Rajiv Devgan, principal Government Medical College, said.
“Right now we are providing services of chemotherapy, oncology, high energy linear accelerator in the Government Medical College with over 100 patients daily getting treated almost free of cost under Mukh Mantri Punjab Cancer Rahat Kosh Scheme,” he said.
In a state like Punjab where cancer is digging its roots at an alarming rate, this cancer institute, boasting of latest techniques and qualified teams, provides a ray of hope for patients of Majha region and surrounding districts of Doaba. After, Malwa region, cases are also increasing in Majha. The presence of arsenic, uranium, and pesticides in water are considered as major causes of cancer.
Concerned over the delay in completion of the hospital, Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Tuesday visited the institute building to review the progress. He demanded chief minister Bhagwant Maan to immediately appoint doctors for the institute.
He also demanded that the state government should vest the powers of this institute to the principal of Government Medical College or district administration so that prompt decisions should be made and appointments of pass out medical students should also be done without wasting valuable time of the students.
Former Punjab minister of research and medical education Om Prakash Soni had set June 2021 as the deadline for completion of the project. However, Dr. Raj Kumar Verka, former state minister of research and medical education) asked the authorities to complete the work by October 2021.