Quality of Health Services and State Intervention for cancer in South Western Region of Punjab

Malwa region of Punjab once known for prosperous, agricultural and hard-working peasantry, has now infamously got the label of cancer capital of India. Government of Punjab is also very particular about cancer patients as far as early detection, management and prevention of this disease is concerned. Study attempted to analyze the quality of health services available to the cancer patients in the region. The present investigation was conducted to assess the quality of health services and state intervention for cancer in south western region of Punjab. Two districts i.e. Bathinda and Sri Muktsar Sahib were randomly selected. Majority of the respondents (41.2%) had seen very good quality of infrastructure available in the public followed by private and charitable hospital in the sample area. Seventy per cent of the respondents found health services accessible to them and ranked it good. Health services were inaccessible to 5.00 per cent of the respondents and they found it bad. One third (36.2%) of the respondents had spent more than Rs. 6000 on a single visit to the hospital for the treatment of their patient. Half (53.7%) of the respondents was not aware of the government sponsored schemes running in the state for cancer patients. Under Mukhya Mantri Punjab Cancer Raahat Kosh (MMPCRK), Government of Punjab earmarked Rs. 50.00 crores for the treatment of all cancer patients. Forty five per cent of the respondents had availed the benefit of MMPCRK scheme of government in the region. Only 3.00 per cent of the respondents availed the benefit of Bhagat Puran Singh Sehat Bima Yojana scheme (BPSSBYS) in the region.