cancer IV

Now, govt forgets to observe cancer awareness day
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, November 7
The state government and the health department forgot to observe the National Cancer Awareness Day today. Earlier, the government had missed on celebrating the New Punjab Day.
Despite knowing that Malwa was badly affected with cancer, the state health department did not remember to spread awareness about the disease on the day.
During a visit to the cancer-hit villages of Bathinda and Muktsar districts, namely Jajjal, Gyana, Kauni, Kot Bhai, Husnar and Bhuttiwala, the TNS team came across a number of cancer patients, who rued that the administration and health department was indifferent towards them.
When Gyanwati, an old lady of village Kotbhai suffering from breast cancer, was asked if she knew about the day, she said, “What the day will do, when the officers have no time to look at our condition. What to talk about awareness, the pension, which I was getting has also been stopped by the present government.”
When a number of officials concerned were asked, some said that they did not have knowledge about the day while many cited checking dengue as priority.
In-charge of the mini primary health centre at Kotbhai village in Muktsar district disclosed that they did not receive any order to spread awareness on the day.
When contacted, Neelam Bajaj, civil surgeon, Bathinda, said, “We were quite busy with dengue-related programmes and the day slipped out of mind.”
She added, “But we can consider the possibilities of starting an awareness campaign for some other day.”
Talking over phone from Jalandhar, Laxmi Kanta Chawla, minister of health and family welfare, said, “Checking Denue is our priority at present. We are launching dengue awareness campaign at grass roots level. Due to this, we did not give any instruction to the state health department to observe the day.”