State Government’s Main Focus Will Be on Eliminating Anemia and Cancer from the State: Aarti Singh Rao

• Haryana Government Committed to Strengthening Healthcare Services

Chandigarh, January 30 – Haryana’s Health Minister Aarti Singh Rao said that in the coming times, the state government’s main focus will be on eliminating anemia and cancer from the state. The number of tests related to cancer screening will be increased.

The Health Minister was speaking to journalists in Chandigarh today.

Expressing concern over the increasing number of cancer patients, Aarti Singh Rao said that free travel facility in government buses is being provided to cancer patients and one attendant for cancer treatment. Additionally, stage-3 and stage-4 cancer patients are being given financial assistance of ₹3,000 per month. To further strengthen cancer treatment, a 50-bed Atal Cancer Care Center has been established at the Civil Hospital in Ambala Cantt, which is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment like mammography, CT simulator, and linear accelerator. This center is providing comprehensive cancer care services not only to patients from Haryana but also to those from neighboring states.

She also informed that there has been a historic increase in the health budget. While the health budget was ₹2,646 crore in the financial year 2014-15, it has been increased to ₹9,942 crore in the financial year 2025-26, which shows an increase of 275 percent.

Aarti Singh Rao stated that to address the shortage of doctors, appointment letters have been issued to 746 Medical Officers and 845 Ayurvedic Medical Officers. In addition, 346 Medical Officers and 154 specialists are also serving under the National Health Mission (NHM). She informed that MRI scan facilities are available in five districts, while MoUs have been signed for Panipat and Kurukshetra, and tenders have been issued for the remaining 9 districts.

In response to a question, the Health Minister informed that Senior Citizen Corners and Physiotherapy Units are operational in all district hospitals of the state. She said that to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for common citizens, free dialysis service is being provided to residents of Haryana from October 17, 2024. Essential medicines are being provided free of cost at all government health institutions.

In response to another question, the Health Minister informed that to strengthen maternal and child health services in the state, separate and state-of-the-art Mother and Child Health (MCH) Wings are being established in all district hospitals. The state’s aim is to establish state-of-the-art separate MCH Wings in all district hospitals so that quality maternal and child health services can be provided by covering the entire spectrum of reproductive, maternal, newborn, infant, and adolescent health services under one roof. The construction of this wing in Panchkula is complete, work in Panipat is in its final stage, while construction work in Faridabad and Sonipat has started from September 2025. Administrative approval of ₹20 crore each for this wing has been issued for Palwal, Sirsa, and Kaithal.

Aarti Singh Rao informed that work is being done rapidly in the state under the Anemia Free India Campaign, due to which the anemia rate in the state has decreased from 59 percent to 53 percent, and Haryana has moved from the 5th to the 3rd position in the national ranking. Additionally, under the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), Janaushadhi Kendras are operational in all civil hospitals across 22 districts of the state, making medicines available to patients at low cost.

The state government has also taken significant steps in the area of food safety. Food testing labs are operational in Chandigarh and Karnal, while 5 “Mobile Food Testing Labs” have been deployed in various districts. Furthermore, clean and safe street food hubs are being developed in Ambala, Karnal, Hisar, and Gurugram.

Health Minister Aarti Singh Rao said that the Haryana government’s goal is to develop a robust, people-centric, and modern health system, so that every citizen can get quality healthcare services on time and without financial hardship.

She said that the state government is fully committed to providing affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare services to citizens. She informed that the Health Department is continuously strengthening infrastructure, human resources, modern equipment, and essential medicines to effectively control infectious and non-communicable diseases.