Punjab to get two cancer hospitals in January

Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 15

The state-of-the-art Homi Bhabha Cancer Super Specialty Hospital at Sangrur and the Advanced Cancer Treatment and Research Centre (ACTRC) at Bathinda would be made functional and dedicated to the nation by the last week of next month.

The decision was taken at a meeting of senior officers and a team of experts led by Tata Memorial Centre Director Dr RA Badwe today. Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal chaired the meeting.

Badwe said the requisite infrastructure and manpower had been put in place at the 50-bedded cancer care facility at Sangrur and 100-bedded centre at Bathinda. These would be made operational on trial basis from the first week of January and subsequently on regular basis by the third or last week of January.

Badwe informed the Chief Minister that the construction work on the upcoming Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Institute at Mullanpur (New Chandigarh) would begin in April next year and would be completed in two years. He said the project consultant had been appointed and necessary clearances for the installation of infrastructure and medical equipment obtained from the Department of Atomic Energy.

The Chief Minister said Punjab could now be aptly adjudged one of the few leading states providing the best cancer treatment and diagnostic facilities in the country. The CM asked the Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, to ensure hassle-free connectivity to the Home Bhabha Hospital and Research Institute, Mullanpur, through the widening and strengthening of roads. He also directed the MD, PHSC, to tie up with Deputy Commissioner, Sangrur, to provide residential accommodation to the newly appointed doctors and other staff at Sangrur.

Badal asked the Principal Secretary, Power, to provide a separate 24x7 hotline to the Sangrur Cancer Super-speciality Hospital within a week. The CM also agreed to the request of Badwe to provide office space at the Punjab Mandi Board Complex, Mohali, to the Tata Memorial Centre team for the execution of the Mullanpur project.

Others present in the meeting included Principal Secretary, Health, Vini Mahajan; Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, Visawjit Khanna.