Sangrur cancer hospital sees surge in patients

Parvesh Sharma

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Tribune News Service

Sangrur, November 17

With 67 per cent discount on medicines and other treatment, the Sangrur Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital has been attracting patients from across north India. Special funds arranged under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) scheme by Cabinet Minister Vijay Inder Singla are helping the hospital authorities in meeting their expenses.

Singla along with the hospital authorities today organised a cancer walk in Sangrur.

“In 2015, we had 1,400 patients and now the number has increased to around 4,000 per year. We are here to serve people and not earn any profit. We opened this hospital after Singla took the matter with then PM Dr Manmohan Singh. We are thankful to the state government, especially Singla, for helping us running the hospital,” said T Ambumani, Director of the hospital.

Ambumani and Singla along with other senior officials presided over the function at Girls Senior Secondary School.

Some patients said special card issued by the hospital authorities to patients had been of great help to them.

“Patients are getting discount and the special card issued to patients is of great help. Till Rs 1.5 lakh, treatment is done under the Chief Minister’’’’s Cancer Relief Fund Scheme,” said Gurdev Singh, a patient from Barnala.

Singla said cancer specialists had done screenings of 16,000 households under the cancer prevention programme in Sangrur and Bhawanigarh areas.

“I have arranged Rs 2 crore under the CSR, but we need Rs 10 crore to run the screening programme across the district. I am in touch with many big companies and discussed the matter with them. Hopefully, I will be able to arrange the required Rs 10 crore to run this screening programme across the district in coming time,” Singla added.

Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori said patients should not spend on treatment in private hospitals as they won’t get reimbursement of their money under the CM relief fund.

“Under the CM relief fund, patients will get direct treatment and not reimbursement,” he added.