2 min readMohaliMar 3, 2016 09:01 AM IST
First published on: Mar 3, 2016 at 09:01 AM IST
The increase in the number of cancer patients has set alarm bells ringing for the health department in the district. The health authorities said that they were conducting regular check-ups of the suspected patients. In the past two years, 178 more patients have been diagnosed. The district administration also disbursed a grant of more than Rs 6 crore to the patients.
According to an official of the health department, the number of cancer patients in the district was 248 in 2013, but now it has risen to 426 — an increase of 178 patients in the past two years. The officials said that the increase in the number of cancer patients was alarming and a disturbing trend.
“We are perturbed over the increasing number of patients in the district. In a span of two years, more than 150 new patients were detected in the district. We do not know the exact reason for this, but the changing lifestyle can be one of the reasons. Most of the patients are in the age group of 45-65 years,” said the official.
The district authorities said that financial aid of Rs 6.39 crore had been disbursed among 426 cancer patients in the district. They added that a total of 434 applications were received from the patients and a financial aid of Rs 12 lakh would be disbursed among eight patients within a week.
The Deputy Commissioner D S Mangat said that the state government was taking concrete steps to eradicate the ailment. He said that the motive of providing financial help to cancer patients was to allow them to avail better treatment facilities. He added that efforts were being made to provide better facilities and generate health awareness.
The DC also said that the district administration organised medical check-up camps for over 49,000 students in as many as 498 schools in the district. He said that the district administration was facilitating free check-up and diagnoses through PGI under National Rural Health Mission.
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