Punjab: State provides financial assistance for cancer relief

The state government of Punjab has come forward to provide financial help to 473 cancer affected residents of SBS Nagar, under the Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund. The monetary help amounts to Rs. 6,00,23,592 for patients being treated at empanelled hospitals for Cancer Treatment.

The Deputy Commissioner SBS Nagar Sh. Vipul Ujwal has implied that there are 126 cancer patients covered under the Chief Minister Cancer Relief Fund last year. The treatment expenditure sanctioned to them included a total of Rs 1,49,63,750 while an amount of Rs 2,33,96,925 was disbursed for the treatment of 138 patients in year 2014.

Civil Surgeon Dr. Maninder Kaur Minhas further implied that only Punjab residents can be direct beneficiaries of the scheme, and as evidence to the entitlement, it is mandatory to provide an identity proof with the application form. In addition, the biopsy report by a lab/hospital has to be submitted along with two passport size photographs attested from the doctor providing treatment.

The district level committee has been actively involved in recommending the patients to the state government. In 2013 also a total of 120 such patients were referred, and treated at a cost of Rs 1,30,24,925 borne by the state. Earlier in 2012, 89 such cancer patients were identified and treated further at a cost of Rs 83,38,092 was paid by the state in the empanelled hospitals for the treatment.

As reported by Punjabnewsexpress, a monetary help up to Rs. 1.5 lakh for undergoing treatment under CM Cancer Relief Fund has been sanctioned directly to the empanelled hospitals, the deputy commissioner added.

The list of 16 empanelled hospitals for this purpose, include AIIMS, PGI, OSWAL Cancer Hospital Ludhiana, Acharya Tulsi Dass Hospital Bikaner, CMC Hospital Ludhiana, Max Hospital Bathinda, Government Medical Colleges of Chandigarh, Patiala, Amritsar and Faridkot, Patel Hospital Jalandhar, Sri Guru Ramdas Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Amritsar, Indus Super Specialty Hospital Ajitgarh, Max Healthcare Mohali, Grecion Super Specialty Hospital Mohali and DMC Hospital Ludhiana. Apart from that these hospitals have been instructed to purchase cancer medicines/Drugs on the rate contract finalized by the Health Department. A maximum amount of Rs. 1.5 lakh is provided to the cancer patients under the scheme. He added that all the patients were eligible under the Scheme except those having mediclaim policies.