Free chemo to patients in Jalandhar Civil Hospital

Cancer patients in Jalandhar now have access to free chemotherapy treatments at the newly inaugurated Day Care Cancer Chemotherapy Centre at Civil Hospital.

The centre was inaugurated on Monday by the state Minister for Horticulture, Freedom Fighters and Defence Services Welfare, Mohinder Bhagat. Since then, 35 patients have already begun availing chemotherapy services.

Jalandhar Civil Hospital becomes the second district hospital in Punjab to establish such a facility, after Bathinda. This 8-bed centre is equipped with essential facilities including medicines, oxygen and 10 ventilators, allowing cancer patients to receive chemotherapy under the supervision of oncology specialists completely free of cost.

This centre marks the second specialised healthcare project launched at the hospital in the past year, following the ongoing work on a new Critical Care Unit.

A significant indicator of government support for cancer treatment is reflected in the registrations under the Chief Minister’s Cancer Relief Fund (Mukh Mantri Punjab Cancer Rahat Kosh - MMPCRK). Since the scheme’s inception in 2012, Jalandhar has seen 4,537 registrations. Between 2019 and January 2025, 1,488 patients were registered under MMPCRK, including 856 males and 632 females. However, registrations have declined over recent years as many patients now opt for the Ayushman Bharat Scheme, which offers medical relief up to Rs 5 lakh.

Despite government efforts, MMPCRK registrations cover only a small fraction of the total cancer cases reported locally. A majority of patients are treated at private cancer hospitals in Jalandhar, where an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 cancer patients receive care annually—comparable to the total government registrations over 13 years.

Year-wise data shows fluctuations with 494 registrations in 2019, a dip to 212 in 2020 (peak Covid year), followed by 260 in 2021, 238 in 2022, 179 in 2023 and just 100 in 2024.

Civil Surgeon Dr Gurmeet Lal highlighted the centre’s importance, stating that many needy patients who previously had to travel long distances for chemotherapy can now receive free treatment locally. For now, the centre specialises only in chemotherapy, but it represents a significant step towards accessible cancer care in the district.

Medical Superintendent Dr Rajkumar Baddhan added that the Day Care Cancer Centre will substantially ease the burden on patients who earlier travelled to Chandigarh or Amritsar. The centre’s ability to provide free chemotherapy locally has already benefited 35 patients, marking a promising development in cancer treatment accessibility in Jalandhar.