Guwahati:Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation seven cancer hospitals inAssam’s Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Tezpur, Darrang, Barpeta and Kokrajharand also laid the foundation stone of seven new cancer hospitals at Dhubri,Goalpara, Nalbari, Nagaon, Golaghat, Sibsagar and Tinsukia. PM Modi commentedthat the initiative would augment the healthcare capacities in the entire northeastIndia. Addressinga huge crowd in Dibrugarh on Thursday, Modi stated that the cancer hospitalswill enhance healthcare facilities to the poorest and middle classfamilies across the region. Acknowledging that cancer has been a big problem inthe region, he lamented that the affected families have to move to big citiesfor treatment. Modi complimented Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and the Tata Trust for taking varioussteps to address this long pending problem.Mentionable is that Assam Cancer Care Foundation, ajoint venture of the State government and Tata Trust, has been executing aproject to build South Asia’s largest affordable cancer care network with 17cancer hospitals spread across the State. Under the first phase, constructionof seven hospitals were completed and three units are nearly completed.In the second phase, seven more cancer hospitals are coming up in Assam.Modi revealed that this year’s central budgetenvisaged a rupees 1500 crore scheme titled Prime Minister’s Development Initiativefor Northeast, under which cancer treatment remains a focus area. Elaboratingon the government’s vision for the healthcare sector, Modi spoke about theemphasis on preventive healthcare initiatives. But if the disease appears, itshould be known in the early stages. Hence lakhs of new testing centers arebeing built across the country.With an aim to provide better facilities near thepatient’s homes, the primary health centers are being improved. Moreover, thepoor families are getting free treatment in the best hospitals under schemeslike Ayushman Bharat. To address the shortfall in the number of qualifieddoctors, the government initiated to add over 70 thousand new seats in MBBS andPG courses. The digitization of health services is also in the process, headded.He pointed out that the exorbitant cost of cancertreatment is a big problem for the low income families where women often avoidtreatment. The government is making cancer drugs affordable by reducing thecost of many medicines to almost half. Moreover 900 medicines are now availableat affordable prices in Jan Aushadhi Kendras. Under Ayushman Bharat schemesmany beneficiaries are cancer patients, said Modi.In presence of Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi, CM Sarma,Ayush minister Sonowal, noted industrialist Ratan Tata, Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Gogoi with other dignitaries, Modi stated that the Centre andState government are working sincerely to give a better life to lakhs offamilies working in tea gardens. From free ration to the facilities availableunder the Har Ghar Jal Yojana, the government is reaching the families in teaplantation areas rapidly, he added.
Sevencancer hospitals inaugurated, seven more coming in Assam
