Daily Times

LAHORE: Despite knowing the grave threat of cancer in the province, the proposed health budget for 2016-17 has brought no major attraction for the patients of this deadly disease, as Punjab government has allocated mere Rs 2.172 million for the construction of cancer hospital in Lahore.

The proposed hospital has been facing frosty attitude of the government and a meager allocation of funds for the hospital further reflects the non-seriousness of the government.

The idea to introducing cancer treatment was floated by the government keeping in mind the increasing number of cancer patients, said a consultant oncologist, who wished not to be quoted, told Daily Times. He said highly expensive facility required government funds, infrastructure and human resource to meet the growing challenges, adding that the number of patients suffering from cancer-related diseases is increasing day-by-day and every year more than 162,000 new cancer patients are diagnosed in the Punjab.

He said the province was in dire need to have a cancer hospital, as the existing facilities in government and private sectors are deplorable. “A large number of patients are left untreated due to inadequate medical facilities in public hospitals. At present, there is no comprehensive cancer treatment hospital in the government sector, forcing the patients either to go abroad or to die in their houses,” he added.

The Punjab chief minister approved the establishment of a state-of-the-art cancer hospital in Lahore, which shall be a comprehensive cancer treatment facility. In 2014, then health secretary Dr Ejaz Muneer had submitted PC-1 with the estimate cost Rs 10 billion and with completion period of three years.

According to sources, the proposed cancer hospital would be 200-bedded, including 20 beds for intensive care unit (ICU) and 40 rooms for private patients.

The Higher Education Department secretary has also been requested to earmark 35-acre land at Knowledge Park, Dera Rakh Chahal, Lahore, for the establishment of cancer hospital.

The proposed hospital would also have all the disciplines involved in the research and treatment of cancer, including clinical oncology, medical oncology, surgical oncology, diagnostic, nuclear medicine, palliative medicine, rehabilitation, clinical psychology, health physics and social services department.

The government had allocated Rs 300 million for the construction of cancer hospital under Annual Development Programme’s (ADP) scheme number 732 for the fiscal year 2014-15 but not a single rupee was spent for this purpose. Similarly, the government allocated Rs 30 million for cancer hospital under ADP number 984 for the fiscal year 2015-16.

On the other hand, the government attention was more on the construction Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Research Centre for which Rs 4 billion had been allocated.

The government has badly failed to start the construction of the cancer hospital even after the lapse of two year. An allocation of mere Rs 2.172 million for this development scheme reflects the government’s lack of commitment in this regard.