Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said the UPA Government was committed to provide world class and affordable health care facilities to combat dreaded diseases such as cancer.
“The government wants to provide affordable healthcare to all sections of the society particularly the weaker section,” the prime minister said.
He was speaking after laying foundation stone of Rs 450 crore Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre at Mullanpur town on the outskirts of Chandigarh.
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Dr. Singh said that the institute would not only cater to the people of Punjab, which has witnessed increase in number of cancer cases, but patients from entire north India can take benefit once the hospital is completed.
He said that 11 lakh new cases of cancer are being added every year, while nine lakh people die of this disease in the country each year and the number was increasing.
The Prime Minister said that it may not be possible to completely eradicate this disease, but patients can be provided better facilities at affordable rates.
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“Our priority is to bring further improvement in the health sector,” he said.
The Mullanpur cancer hospital would be developed and established by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) on the lines of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai at a cost of Rs. 450 crore, with Prime Minister expressing hope that the project would be completed within next four years.
He thanked the Punjab government for giving 50 acres of land in Mullanpur for the prestigious institute and also lauded the contribution of Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib, Ravneet Singh Bittu for the project.
Once completed, the Mullanpur institute would have 200 doctors, 500 nurses and other paramedical staff and it would deal with 10,000 new cases each year while 40,000 old cases would be dealt with each year, the Prime Minister said.
The hospital will have modern facilities for treating cancer and 2,500 operations would be carried out each year.