Region in Parliament: Punjab has 116 clinics for NCD, cancer care

Punjab has 116 clinics for cancer care in the state, the Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Pratap Rao Jadhav, said in reply to a question by Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi during the Question Hour of the ongoing Lok Sabha session.

Punjab has as many as 23 District Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) clinics, one District Day Care Centre and 192 Community Health Center NCD Clinics for prevention of NCDs such as cancer (oral, breast and cervical). Till November 23, as many as 19.97 lakh have been screened for oral cancer, 9.92 lakh for breast cancer and 3.91 lakh for cervical cancer in Punjab.

The Department of Health and Family Welfare provides technical and financial support to the states and Union Territories including Punjab under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD) as part of National Health Mission (NHM). The programme focuses on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, early diagnosis, referral to an appropriate level of healthcare facility for treatment and management and health promotion and awareness. MP Gandhi had asked whether the Government had introduced any schemes to address the high rates of cancer in Punjab, particularly Malwa.

PM-ABHIM hospitals

Punjab has 31 hospitals under the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) Jadhav said in reply to a question by MP Charanjit Channi. Of the total, as many as 14 are Integrated Public Health labs and 17 are Critical Care Hospital Block (CCBs). Haryana has 14 health labs and 15 critical care hospital blocs.

Help for citizens abroad

Assistance to citizens abroad is provided under Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to those residing in the host country or those in distress while visiting a foreign country the Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said in reply to a question by MP Amarinder Raja Warring. The ICWF has been set up in all Indian Missions and Posts abroad.

National co-op varsity

Responding to a question by Himachal Pradesh Rajya Sabha MP, Dr Sikander Kumar, the Union Minister for Cooperation, Amit Shah, said the Centre had received proposals for the setting up of a national cooperative university for cooperative education, training, research development and quality workforce.

Sikligars’ plight

Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu raised the issue of socio-economic condition of the financially disadvantaged Sikligar Sikh community. The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, BL Verma, said the Sikligar were eligible for the benefits under various schemes including Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED), which includes free coaching, health insurance, housing and livelihood initiatives.

(Compiled by Sanjeev Singh Bariana)