Advanced cancer centre empanelled, fails to start chemotherapy
Bharat Khanna
Tribune News Service
Bathinda, September 7
Advanced Cancer Diagnostic, Treatment and Research Institute (ACDTRI) in Bathinda that was seen as a great relief for cancer patients in the Malwa region with having the first-ever radio therapy facility at government rates in Bathinda had failed to start chemotherapy and surgery for cancer patients.
However, after enough struggle, the hospital succeeded to get empanelled and provided a helping hand to patients under the Mukh Mantri Cancer Rahat Kosh Scheme, a cashless treatment scheme for cancer patients.
It was on October 28, 2011 when Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal laid the foundation stone of the ACDTRI here at Bathinda, two month after the Punjab government signed the agreement with the Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation of India (HSCCI) for the construction of first Cancer Hospital of the district in Public Sector.
The ACDTRI was planned to cater to poor cancer patients. However, it got delayed for about a year to start functioning following the incomplete construction of its building earlier. But, however, it is now serving the cancer patients for consultation, treatment plans, and a radiotherapy COBALT treatment since January this year. About 160 patients have been registered here since January 2015. Besides, Cemotherapy and Surgery treatment for cancer patients, it also lacks radiotherapy stimulator LINAC which is another treatment under radiotherapy. The facility of radiotherapy treatment is available in private hospitals in Bathinda. But being a costlier treatment, it remains non-beneficial to poor patients. Opened at the Industrial Growth Centre Mansa Road, it is the first cancer research institute of the Punjab government built on six acres at a cost of Rs 60 crore.
It is the first public facility to cater to cancer patient at Bathinda especially for the poor patients who have been visiting Bikaner in Rajasthan for the cheaper treatment. The cancer patients here at the ACDTRI centre are supposed to treatment at the prices equivalent to that of charged by the PGI, Chandigarh.
Director, ACDTRI, Bathinda, Dr MK Mahajan, said, “The patients under the CM Cancer Relief Fund Scheme can avail the treatment for radiotherapy at the ACDTRI, Bathinda, as now, the hospital is empanelled. The radiotherapy facility at the ADCTRI is available at cheaper rates. The ADCTRI centre here had begun the services since January 15 this year had registered about 160 patients suffering from cancer whereas a number of patients had availed the benefit of radiotherapy facility. Soon the services of chemotherapy and surgery treatment for cancer patients would be started. We had also requested the government that patients treated here from February to June, till it was not empanelled should also get the treatment cost paid by government.”
“All the facilities, including the ultrasound, MRI, X-rays and radiotherapy would be given to patients at government rates. We have the latest state-of-art machines for cancer detection and treatment. The cancer patients of this region now need not go far off places to get treatment on subsidised rates. In a private hospital, the treatment for radiotherapy costs the patient up to Rs one lakh whereas against this, the radiotherapy treatment for cancer patient is available here from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000 only. Funds of Rs 1.5 lakh are given to the patients under the CM Relief Fund to spend only on the radiotherapy treatment. Whereas the patients have to spend separately on medicine and other expenses for which the treatment cost goes up to Rs 5 lakh. The remaining facility of radiotherapy stimulator under the LINAC would also reach the centre by end of this month,” added Dr Mahajan.
