Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda on Tuesday said Bathinda has shed its old image associated with the “Cancer Express” train and is now emerging as a major centre for cancer treatment, attributing the transformation to significant investments in healthcare infrastructure, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda.
Addressing the gathering during the second convocation of AIIMS Bathinda, Nadda recalled that the Bathinda-Bikaner train was once popularly known as the “Cancer Express” because of the large number of patients travelling to Rajasthan for treatment. “Now, I am told that people come to AIIMS Bathinda for cancer treatment. That phase of going to Bikaner has become history,” he said.
The minister said AIIMS Bathinda, established in 2016, has emerged as a major healthcare institution in the region, catering to nearly 3,000 outpatients and 600 inpatients daily. He said advanced procedures, including renal and corneal transplants, are now being performed at the institute, reflecting the growth of healthcare facilities available in the region.
Highlighting the Centre’s healthcare policy shift since 2017, Nadda said the government had moved from a predominantly curative approach to a preventive and inclusive healthcare model. “Earlier, the approach was fall sick and we will treat you. Today, our focus is on prevention through early detection and screening,” he said.
Nadda said 1.82 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been established across the country as the first point of contact for healthcare services. The government is encouraging all citizens above the age of 30 to undergo regular screening for major diseases. “Why go for bypass surgery when one can be alerted to health problems at an early stage?” he asked.
Sharing national screening figures, he said 36 crore people have been screened for oral cancer, 17 crore women for breast cancer and nine crore women for cervical cancer. Around 42 crore people each have also been screened for hypertension and diabetes. “Even these numbers are not enough. Our goal is to take the screening coverage to one billion people,” he said, adding that a 100-day tuberculosis detection campaign is currently underway to identify patients at an early stage.
Congratulating AIIMS Bathinda on securing NABL accreditation for its laboratories, Nadda urged the faculty and students to transform the institute into a pioneering medical institution and a leading research centre. “We can provide infrastructure and equipment, but you are the software of the institution,” he said.
Stressing the importance of healthcare in nation-building, Nadda said a healthy India was essential for achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat.
He added that Punjab has remained a priority for the Centre in the health sector. Besides AIIMS Bathinda, district hospitals have been strengthened and satellite centres established in Sangrur and Ferozepur. More than Rs 1,000 crore has been spent on AIIMS Bathinda alone, while Rs 449 crore each has been spent on the satellite centres at Sangrur and Ferozepur, he said.
Emphasising the expansion of medical education in the country, Nadda said India had only one AIIMS by the end of the 20th century. “Six AIIMS were opened during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure and 16 more under Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said, adding that the AIIMS brand remains the country’s premier healthcare institution.
The minister said the number of medical colleges in the country has increased from 387 a decade ago to around 820. Undergraduate medical seats have risen from about 59,000 to 1.28 lakh, while postgraduate medical seats have increased from 31,000 to 86,000. He also inaugurated new healthcare facilities at AIIMS Bathinda.
“The number of postgraduate seats should match undergraduate seats. We are still not satisfied,” he said. The government has sanctioned an investment of Rs 15,000 crore for creating 10,000 additional medical seats between 2026 and 2029, with each seat costing approximately Rs 1.5 crore.
Urging graduating students to uphold compassion in medical practice, Nadda said technological advancements such as artificial intelligence and telehealth should complement, not replace, the human touch in patient care.
Nadda also inaugurated several new facilities at AIIMS, including a Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography (PET-CT) facility and a second High Energy Linear Accelerator (HELA) unit to strengthen cancer diagnosis and treatment. He also inaugurated a Burns Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and dedicated the Child Development and Early Intervention Centre (CDEIC), aimed at early detection and management of developmental disorders in children. Additionally, Nadda inaugurated a Gymnasium and Wellness Centre for students, faculty and staff.
Harsimrat’s absence felt by attendees
Some attendees at the convocation said they missed the presence of Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who had played a key role in bringing AIIMS to the city. “She played a significant role in establishing this institution. We have come here to receive the degree on behalf of our daughter, who is pursuing higher studies in the US. It would have been better had the MP also attended the function,” said Prof Sadhu and his wife, residents of Bathinda.
