Haryana laps India’s first NCI

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in India, with about 2.5 million cancer patients, 1 million new cases added every year. In 2013, an estimated 10,86,783 new cancer cases were reported and the numbers are slated to rise to 1148692 in 2015 — a jump of over 5.5 per cent in two years. Tobacco remains the most prominent disease causing factor.

But the facilities to treat cancer in India are still highly inadequate and what with the ignorance among public and delayed diagnosis, the disease has got the dubious identity of being a ‘killer disease’. Many people are unaware that, if detected earlier, cancer can be treated and an individual can lead a healthy life.

Shri Deepender Singh Hooda realized that the treatment for this disease is very costly for a country like India with most of the poor people unable to afford it and it can only be solved by enhancing the research and the treatment facilities in the country. He then started working on a proposal to set up National Cancer Institute (NCI) at All India institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) campus of Haryana and was later tasked with pursuing the Expenditure Finance Committee’s clearance of the National Cancer Hospital.

Union Health & Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad being examined by AIIMS Director R. C. Deka as Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Rohtak Member of Parliament Deepender Singh Hooda look on after the inauguration of an outreach OPD of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences at Badhsa in Jhajjar.

His efforts bore fruit in December last year when the Union Cabinet approved the proposal for setting up of NCI at AIIMS in Badhsa village of Jhajjar district. The approval would entail an expenditure of Rs 2,035 crore in the first phase and will provide world class healthcare facilities to the poor.  According to Shree Hooda, the mega project would be a land mark in the area of cancer research and shall lessen the deficit tertiary cancer care in the country.

We all think this is a great matter of pride for Haryana to be chosen as the only state in the country to house the first NIC. The people of Haryana would be forever grateful to Shree Deepender Singh Hooda and the Union Cabinet for their dedicated efforts.