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ShareBHATINDA: Hundreds of cancer patients and their families in Punjab are in distress for the want of treatment. The "nearest possible" cancer hospital is a train journey away in Bikaner, 350 kms from here in Rajasthan.
Dr AS Dhaliwal, a medical specialist, said the number of patients undergoing treatment in the Bikaner hospital was estimated to be around 2,500 and the number of estimated deaths due to cancer would be close to 300 in the region (including Bhatinda, Mansa and Muktsar districts) in the last two years, he added.
The villagers were paying too heavy a price for their prosperity courtesy the successful growth of cotton, the primary crop of the region. As fate would have it, better the crop, more serious has been the cases of cancer diagnosed in the patients.
The doctors believe that rampant use of pesticides to enhance the crop productivity has triggered the cancer outbreak.
"Till recently per hectare usage of pesticides has been the maximum in this region. Consequently, the underground water sources as well as entire vegetation has got contaminated," said Manpreet Badal, an Akali MLA.
For once, the Punjab government has acknowledged the gravity of the situation. After a survey, the district administration has identified nearly 1,000 cancer patients here and sought to extend financial assistance for their treatment.
Deputy commissioner Rahul Bhandari said for patients identified in Nathana, Bhagta, Maur, Balianwali, Sangat, Rampura (urban) and Bathinda (urban), an amount of Rs 60 lakh had been demanded from the state government.
Teams comprising sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) and health department personnel examined medical reports of people already suffering from the disease and studied their case history before identifying them for the financial assistance.
"We know the amountgiven as aid is not enough. The funds we grant are in accordance with the expenditure incurred in government hospitals," says Bhandari.
