Cancer centre plans OPD at Mansa hospital

Tribune News Service

Mansa, November 27

In a major reprieve for cancer patients in the district, Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Sangrur, will soon be launching a weekly OPD at the local Civil Hospital.

Mansa Civil Surgeon Dr Lal Chand Thakral revealed this while addressing mediapersons on the sidelines of a five-day workshop to create awareness on prevention and treatment of cancer. Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital (HBCH), which is the collaboration between Punjab Government and Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, has emerged as a big facility for the cancer patients, who now need not visit far-off places like Bikaner for affordable treatment.

Dr Thakral said the launch of OPD by the HBCH, Sangrur, would prove a boon for the patients in the district. Talking about the facilities available at the HBCH, he said chemotherapy medicines were available at 67 per cent discounted rates. Besides, the patients are given free cashless treatment up to Rs 1.5 lakh under the Punjab Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund.

Responding to a media query, he said the incidence of cancer in Mansa was 57 patients for population of 1 lakh. The state government conducted door-to-door survey during which 450 cancer patients were registered at Mansa. As per the data available, more women have been detected suffering from cancer than men.