IEP Chandigarh, July 19
Giving a big relief to the cancer patients of the state, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha Member Parliament Sanjeev Arora on Wednesday announced to provide free treatment worth Rs 1.5 lakh each to 100 Cancer patients every year. He made this announcement, while chairing a meeting of Punjab Health Department Officials here at Punjab Bhawan. Detailing about the initiative, MP Arora said that medical expenses are very high in India and in the case of cancer treatment, the expenses incur into lakhs of rupees. It was his dream that no patient of cancer should suffer due to lack of treatment because of unaffordability, he said, while adding that to realise this dream, he has formed ‘Krishna Pran Breast Cancer Charitable Trust’ in the memory of his mother, who died recently fighting breast cancer. This trust will provide Rs 1.5 lakh worth of free treatment to 100 Cancer patients every year. It is pertinent to mention here that Cancer patients in Punjab are already being provided treatment worth Rs 1.5 lakh under Mukh Mantri Cancer Rahat Kosh and this proposed treatment will be in the shape of matching contribution by the trust. Therefore, the patient will get free treatment worth a total of Rs 3 lakhs. Emphasizing on the need to raise awareness about the Mukh Mantri Cancer Rahat Kosh scheme, the MP said, as general public is not aware of this scheme and as a result many of the cancer patients fail to take benefit of this scheme. Principal Secretary Health Vivek Partap Singh assured the MP to implement the proposal in expedited manner and instructed the concerned officials to carry out the modalities for earliest implementation of this new initiative. Director Health and Family Welfare Punjab Dr Adarshpal Kaur and Assistant Director cum State Program Officer Cancer Control Cell Punjab Dr. Sandeep Singh Gill were also present in the meeting.
