Four hospitals set up in Punjab by NRI philanthropist

Kulwant S Dhaliwal (67), a former cloth merchant in the UK, turned philanthropist after the tragic loss of his mother and father-in-law to cancer. This personal loss shifted his life's mission towards the early detection of cancer and providing treatment to underprivileged patients.

Nearly two decades ago, Dhaliwal retired early from his business to devote himself to his humanitarian work. He now spends more time in Punjab than in the UK, overseeing projects run by his NGO, the World Cancer Care Society. His efforts have led to the establishment of three cancer hospitals and one eye hospital across the state. Additionally, his NGO organises free cancer diagnostic camps in almost 11,000 of Punjab’s 12,700 villages. He also operates over 18 mobile units equipped with mammography, cancer screening equipment, diabetes and blood pressure testing kits, ECGs, eye checkups and other medical tools. Through his NGO, Dhaliwal also runs a free medical langar, providing medicines to needy patients.

The first cancer hospital was opened at Suchi Pind in Jalandhar, where it has been operating for over ten years. “I opened another hospital in Nanaksar near Ludhiana and construction is underway for a new hospital in Anandpur Sahib, which we expect to complete by the end of this year,” Dhaliwal shared. His eye hospital is located in Lohian town, Jalandhar. Since January 1 of this year, through his eye camps, Dhaliwal’s team has screened over 100,000 patients and distributed many pairs of high-quality spectacles. Additionally, he has organised major health check-up camps in Mansa, Sangrur and Barnala, with support from large organisations like Trident. These camps are not limited to Punjab, as Dhaliwal’s team has also extended their outreach to parts of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Dhaliwal’s exceptional philanthropic contributions were recently recognised by Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, who honoured him for his charitable work. Speaking about his mission, Dhaliwal stated, “I’m fulfilling my mother’s wish to work for the cause of cancer. She was diagnosed too late to be saved and I am committed to raising awareness about early cancer symptoms to help others avoid the same fate. Wherever I go, I urge women to ensure they eat home-cooked food, as there is minimal exposure to pesticides and fertilisers. Pure food is essential.” He added that the Global Punjabi Association, of which he is an active member, has also been a major supporter of his cause.

Dhaliwal, originally from Moga, studied at DAV College in Jalandhar and spent much of his early life in the city. He chose to establish his largest hospital setup near Jalandhar, in recognition of his roots and the community that supported him.