STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: For over three years, people of Jammu and Kashmir have been patiently listening to lofty announcements made by central ministers and the State health ministers with regard to setting up of two Cancer Institutes at an estimated cost of Rs 120 crore, each in Jammu and Srinagar.
Ironically, on ground zero thousands of cancer patients continue to suffer due to lack of advance treatment, modernised equipment and trained faculty.
In Jammu, the Regional Cancer Centre continues to refer patients to tertiary care centres outside the State as terminally ill patients cannot be admitted and provided much needed treatment.
In comparison to Jammu, health care facilities in SKIMS in Srinagar are far better but even there the rush of patients is taking a heavy toll on the limited health care facilities.
For the first time it was former Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who had cleared the proposal of setting up four medical colleges involving cost of Rs 189 crore and two cancer institutes involving Rs 120 crore, one each in Jammu and Srinagar.
But after the UPA government was voted out the ambitious project took a severe beating. After coming to power, BJP leaders from the State waited for some time before embarking on the same bandwagon of making lofty announcements.
According to official sources, State Health Minister Bali Bhagat informed the State Assembly in June 2016 that the Central Government has sanctioned two new Cancer Institutes for the State at the cost of Rs 120 crore each.
The Minister said that two Cancer Institutes will come up at Government Medical College, Jammu and S K Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Srinagar. He said, besides this, three tertiary cancer care centers are also being sanctioned by Union Government for establishment in the identified districts of Kupwara, Kishtwar and Udhampur.
Despite making this announcement, the State Health Minister failed to expedite the project on ground zero.
One year after when Union Minister of Health and Medical Education, Jagat Prakash Nadda arrived here to lay foundation stones of two new medical colleges in Kathua and Doda, he once again announced two Cancer Institutes for the State.
In addition to this three Tertiary Cancer Centers will be constructed at Kishtwar and Udhampur in Jammu region and Kupwara in Kashmir valley at the cost of Rs 45 crore each. Terming it a big revolution, he had said, this is the dream of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
Referring to AIIMS Nadda said two AIIMS were given to the State. The funds will be no problem for Medical colleges and State Government has to start the construction so that the students can take admission.
In contrast to this, large number of cancer patients continue to suffer in the absence of adequate facilities. Majority of cancer patients visit other centres across North India in Punjab and Delhi besides Mumbai to receive advance treatment and those who could not visit outside the State have been waiting for these lofty announcements to come true in the near future.
