Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 23: National Conference Provincial President Devender Singh Rana today sought a comprehensive package for treatment of cancer in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the malady has taken alarming proportions over the years.
“There is immense and urgent need of a package covering diagnosis and post diagnostic care of the patients to combat the disease”, Rana told media persons during his visit to ASCOMS & Hospital in Sidhra in Nagrota Assembly Constituency where a Super Speciality Cancer Hospital has been established in collaboration with American Oncology Institute.
He urged the government to work out a scheme on the analogy of the Punjab Government under Mukhi Mantri Punjab Cancer Rahat Kosh, rolled out, envisaging Rs 1.50 lakh to patients below 19 years of age. He suggested that a similar scheme could be adopted in Jammu and Kashmir as well with modification of covering all the cancer patients irrespective of age. This is necessary as the patients and their attendants, especially from far off and remote areas are required to run helter skelter in metropolis like Delhi and Mumbai due to lack of facility here, he said adding the only tertiary facility at the Government Medical College Hospital Jammu is not adequately equipped to cater to the needs of the region.
Rana said the package will go a long way towards ensuring health for all, especially as cancer has emerged as a single dreaded malady taking highest toll in this part of the country. He referred to the trauma being faced, not only by the patients but their entire families after detection of cancer. They feel left out in lurch and helpless given the cost factory of the treatment. The ordeal of such hapless segments of the society can be minimised by making the treatment affordable and supplemented by the Government in terms of financial assistance, he added.
He also stressed the crucial need of upgrading and strengthening the diagnostic and treatment facilities at the Oncology Centre of the GMC, Jammu, as prevailing facilities are not sufficient enough.
He expressed satisfaction over the coming up of the new facility at the ASCOMS Sidhra, hoping this to provide respite to the cancer patients. He also hoped that the institution will provide some concessions to the economically weaker patients as part of its social responsibility programme. He called for greater societal role and response in fighting various diseases.
Later the hospital administration briefed Rana about the facilities made available in the newly setup Oncology Super Speciality Hospital in ASCOMS premises.
Devender Batra, Dr Pawan Malhotra, Dr Ashutosh Gupta, Dr Jagparag Singh Gujral and others were also present on the occasion.
Kuldeep Singh Jamwal, Subash Singh, Advocate and other prominent persons of the area accompanied Rana.
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