Chandigarh September 23:
The Congress leaders of Punjab have questioned the commitment of the SAD-BJP Government in addressing the problem of cancer in Malwa region.
Congress general secretaries Ram Pal Dhaipai and Raj Pal Singh said on Wednesday that the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab was shirking from the fundamental duty of providing basic health facilities to the people of the State, especially the cancer-prone Malwa belt of Punjab.
“Even constitutionally health is a State subject. The responsibility for building dedicated hospitals and research institutes lies on the State Government but it is sorry to find that it has been shifting the onus on the Centre instead of doing something,” said the general secretary in a statement.
They further said that instead of doing something concrete in the issue raised by the Congress leaders, the SAD Members of Parliament is raising hue and cry for the Central help. Though, the menace of cancer epidemic is so strong that the Central help would be required to fight it and help people of the cancer-prone areas in the State.
“The poor people are losing their kith and kin falling prey to the disease and the family members left behind face the dragon of debt compelling them to sell their properties due to the huge expenses being incurred on the patients in the absence of treatment facilities available in the region,” said the another general secretary. They added that with the efforts of Congress leaders, especially the Leader of Congress Legislature Party Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who met the Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, a Central team visited the cancer-inflicted areas last week.
“But it is most unfortunate and matter of regret that the Central team was misled by the statistics stating the number of cancer patients in the region to 10-40 per lakh against 125-130 in the country. It is shocking to note that the number of patients in the region is much more than those stated in the official figures supplied to the Central team,” both the general secretaries said.
The Congress leaders of Punjab have questioned the commitment of the SAD-BJP Government in addressing the problem of cancer in Malwa region.
Congress general secretaries Ram Pal Dhaipai and Raj Pal Singh said on Wednesday that the SAD-BJP Government in Punjab was shirking from the fundamental duty of providing basic health facilities to the people of the State, especially the cancer-prone Malwa belt of Punjab.
“Even constitutionally health is a State subject. The responsibility for building dedicated hospitals and research institutes lies on the State Government but it is sorry to find that it has been shifting the onus on the Centre instead of doing something,” said the general secretary in a statement.
They further said that instead of doing something concrete in the issue raised by the Congress leaders, the SAD Members of Parliament is raising hue and cry for the Central help. Though, the menace of cancer epidemic is so strong that the Central help would be required to fight it and help people of the cancer-prone areas in the State.
“The poor people are losing their kith and kin falling prey to the disease and the family members left behind face the dragon of debt compelling them to sell their properties due to the huge expenses being incurred on the patients in the absence of treatment facilities available in the region,” said the another general secretary. They added that with the efforts of Congress leaders, especially the Leader of Congress Legislature Party Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, who met the Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, a Central team visited the cancer-inflicted areas last week.
“But it is most unfortunate and matter of regret that the Central team was misled by the statistics stating the number of cancer patients in the region to 10-40 per lakh against 125-130 in the country. It is shocking to note that the number of patients in the region is much more than those stated in the official figures supplied to the Central team,” both the general secretaries said.
