By SUKHBIR SIWACH
Chandigarh: After Punjab, Haryana is witnessing a sharp surge in cancer deaths in the state. In three years, cancer-related deaths have almost doubled in the state. While the state recorded 1845 cancer deaths in 2013, the figure touched 3668 in 2016. The figures were tabled in the Haryana Assembly on October 24 after Congress MLA and former minister Karan Singh Dalal sought the same.
In Haryana, Rohtak topped the list with 553 deaths in 2016, followed by Yamunanagar (532). Sonipat and Punjab’s bordering districts, Sirsa and Fatehabad, recorded cancer death ranging from 315 to 329, while Gurgaon witnessed 180 deaths and Faridabad 108 in the same year.
Haryana government informed the Assembly that as many 16,180 cases of cancer were identified in 2016, while this number was just 11717 in 2013.
The increasing number of cases and deaths have government authorities worried. Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij said that the state has written to Union government to conduct a study to know the reasons behind increasing number of cancer cases.
However, Dalal blamed the increasing usage of pesticides and fertilizers for the cultivation of food grains and other crops.
Notably, a train ‘Cancer Express’ goes to Bikaner carrying patients from Bathinda (Punjab) for affordable treatment of the dreaded disease. Dabwali town of Sirsa district is the first stoppage of the ‘Cancer Express’. Sometimes there are up to 50 patients from Dabwali area who board the train to go to Bikaner for the treatment.
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