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Cancer fund ailing

The Chief Minister's Cancer Relief Fund is bringing more pain than relief to patients who have been battling the disease for long.

It is difficult for patients to get medicine from hospital due to the cumbersome process. Besides cancer, it’s the formalities which are killing patients. A patient has to visit the hospital many times to get the medicine due to unforeseen reasons such as leave of an employee, doctor or some reason of the supplier. It is a form of harassment for most patients and their families.

While in some cases, letters regarding the release of money are not being received directly by the beneficiaries, in others, patients are told that they would be given discount on chemotherapy medicine, the price of which is usually inflated on paper.

As hospitals get grants directly into their account, patients are at their mercy. Even at the PGI, from where I am getting treatment of my brain cancer, a patient has to run for bills from the chemist and then get them signed and stamped from doctors and submit them to the pharmacy to get the 
medicine.

It will be a well-treated gift for a cancer patient if all costs incurred by him from the day of submission of the file are covered. At present, they are covered from the date the application is approved. According to the current rules, the relief fund covers the cost of treatment up to ~1.5 lakh which is on the lower side as compared to the billing cost of the medicine. It will be a noble gesture if medicines are not sold at inflated costs.

Harjinder Singh, Mohali

Ajnala martyrs

Unearthing the bones and skulls of the bravehearts of the 1857 war of independence and calling it a “sepoy mutiny” is tantamount showing disrespect to the martyrs (“Gurdwara panel to preserve remains of Ajnala martyrs”, March 9). Displaying their skulls and bones like war trophies and giving the incident the colour of religion is shameful.

The martyrs fought for the freedom of the nation without any divide of caste and religion. No bone should be preserved; they must be buried from where they have been dug out. Instead of a mandir or gurdwara, a memorial to these unknown martyrs should be constructed.

No autopsy should be done on their last remains. There seems to be dirty politics on this issue. Nobody has the right to dishonour the remains or make it a religious issue. The proposal to approach the UK in order to establish the identity of the 282 martyrs is absurd.

Capt Amar Jeet Kumar, Mohali

Build memorial

It is disheartening to see the political row over the making of a memorial to the 282 Ajnala martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country. They are true heroes and freedom fighters.

It is unfair to politicise the issue on communal lines by differentiating them on the basis of religion or constructing a temple or gurdwara. The last rites of their mortal remains must be carried out with honour and respect and a memorial built. Items, including coins of the British era, gold pieces and medals, must be kept in a museum.

V.K.Kapur, Panchkula

Altruistic task

The story of Shiksha Rattan awardee Jaswinder Singh turning his car into a laboratory promoting physics and maths by Gagan K Teja made me nostalgic about my schooldays when I used to fear these two subjects immensely (“Good News”, February 23). It is a fact that a majority of the students dread the two subjects and fare poorly in examinations.

Jaswinder is doing the altruistic task of teaching the students these subjects by taxing upon his leisure time and holidays. His selfless service and laudable effort will serve a twin purpose. One, he will make the students fearless and make them score better in examinations and two, it will inculcate a scientific temperament among them which is need of the hour. That he is imparting training to the students free of cost is in itself an act meriting appreciation as such gestures are rarely seen in today's commercialised world.

Ravi Sharma, Jammu

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