Jharkhand health minister made a slew of announcements starting from free cancer screening, establishment of superspeciality hospitals, bike ambulances for rural women healthcare workers in remote areas, free ultrasound testing for pregnant women among others at a function to mark World Cancer Day in Ranchi on Tuesday.

Launching a massive state-wide free general cancer screening camp in Jharkhand, health minister and Congress leader Dr Irfan Ansari announced that free oral, breast and cervical cancer screening will be done at all state-owned health centers from Tuesday.

“It is the first time in the state that we have started free cancer screening across Jharkhand at all government health centers for early detection and treatment of the disease,” said Ansari.

Dr Ansari announced, “Soon 300 new ambulances with all modern facilities will start operating in the state through a separate call center (not from the existing 108 ambulance service). We will be starting a bike ambulance service for accredited social health activists (ASHA commonly known as sahiya working as health facilitators in rural areas) so that they can reach inaccessible areas and take the patient to hospitals in time.”

“We are working to build five superspeciality hospitals in the state soon (200-bed facilities at existing medical colleges and hospitals at Dumka, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur and Palamau) along with a superspeciality hospital at Jamtara (his home constituency). If plans fall into place we might also move for super speciality hospitals in each district of the state,” announced Dr Ansari.

“Sahiya sisters of the state work to bring health services and awareness to the people. They are the backbone of health services. The state government is soon going to give high-end tabs to all the sahias of the state (nearly 42,000) so that their work can be made easier and they can update medical data of people online and also arrange for online consultation with doctors in case of emergency,” said Dr Ansari.

“Sahiya are the first point of contact for health departments in rural areas and if a cancer patient is detected, then they should inform immediately so that the treatment of the cancer patient starts in time and life can be saved. The state government is giving money for treatment under the Chief Minister’s Gambhir Bimari Yojana,” added Dr Ansari.

The minister also said that a directive has been issued for banning sale and consumption of pan masalasacross the state and warned that strict action would be taken for sale of the prohibited product.

“The government will soon provide free medicines to the people of Jharkhand as well as get free medical tests done. The government will also start free ultrasound of pregnant women done for free,” further announced Dr Ansari.

Mission director of National Health Mission in Jharkhand, Abu Imran elaborated that the state government has started cancer screening across the state.

“If cancer is detected in the initial investigation, then the patient’s life can be saved by starting treatment. The government provides financial assistance for cancer treatment under the Chief Minister’s Gambhir Bima Yojana. So far, help has been provided to many people for cancer treatment,” said Imran.