Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday announced free-of-cost treatment and free medicines for cancer patients in the state.

Himachal Pradesh is second in the country in terms of cancer cases, which is a matter of concern for the state, he added.

“The state government will provide 42 medicines free of cost to cancer patients in government hospitals for their treatment and these medicines have been included in the state’s essential medicine list,” he said.

He stated this while presiding over the first meeting of the State Advisory Board on Cancer and Palliative Care Program here on Monday.

“In view of this, this revolutionary decision has been taken to provide relief to cancer patients. This facility will be provided in various government hospitals,” said Sukhu.

These free of cost medicines also include Trastuzumab vaccine used for cancer treatment, which costs about Rs 40 thousand, he said, adding that a breast cancer patient needs 18 such vaccines in a year for treatment anad to provide this vaccine, the state government will spend about seven lakh rupees on each patient.

“These medicines will be made available at the doorsteps of the people in various government hospitals,” said Sukhu.

He also approved Rs 300 crore to strengthen cancer treatment facilities in the state.

“The government would provide Rs 75 crore for developing infrastructure of Center of Excellence, Cancer Care Hamirpur. Another Rs 75 crore for bone marrow transplant facility in Chamiyana, Shimla, and Rs 150 crore for providing world class cancer treatment equipment in Center of Excellence Hamirpur,” said the Chief Minister.

The state government was giving top priority to public welfare and providing better health facilities was an important part of it, he added.

He said that the state government was setting up cancer day care centers all across the state in a phased manner.

“Cancer day care centers have been set up in 13 hospitals in the first phase. In the second phase, these centres will be set up in 27 high load civil hospitals and community health centres. In the third phase, cancer day care centres will be set up in 28 institutions. Palliative care units will also be set up in cancer day care centres,” he said.

Sukhu said that world class technology will be adopted in the Cancer Care Centre of Excellence to be set up by the state government in Hamirpur.

A special department of nuclear medicine will be set up here in which a large capacity nuclear lab and cyclotron will also be made available, he added.

The Chief Minister said that the facility of bone marrow transplantation will also be started in Atal Institute Of Medical Super-Specialities, Chamiyana, Shimla.

“Population based cancer registry will be started in the state. Under this, the cancer cases and number of cancer cases will be studied,” he said, adding that a pilot project will be started in one district for screening of cancer cases.