*— PUNJAB RESOLUTE TO CATCH CANCER WHEN IT’S CURABLE, BEFORE IT SPREADS: DR BALBIR SINGH*
*— HEALTH DEPARTMENT INKS MOU WITH YOUWECAN FOUNDATION TO DRIVE PREVENTIVE SCREENING & AWARENESS DRIVE IN PATIALA*
*— 20,000 INDIVIDUALS TO BE COVERED OVER 12 MONTHS; 10,000 WOMEN TO RECEIVE PAINLESS, RADIATION-FREE ‘iBreastExam’*
Taking a decisive step forward to bolster cancer screening and early diagnosis at the grassroots, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government on Monday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the YouWeCan Foundation—founded by legendary former Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh—to execute a comprehensive breast and oral cancer screening project in Patiala district.
The MoU was formally signed in the presence of Punjab Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education & Research Minister Dr Balbir Singh by Director Health and Family Welfare Dr Hitinder Kaur and Trustee of Yuvraj Singh Foundation Poonam Nanda.
Reiterating the commitment of the state government towards proactive health safeguarding rather than reactive treatment, Dr Balbir Singh emphasised that the entire focus of this mission is to promote routine check-ups and bust fears around screening.
“Just as Yuvraj Singh championed India’s historic triumphs on the cricket field and defeated cancer through sheer grit, he is now leading from the front to champion early screening among our people," said Dr Balbir Singh, while adding that Cancer is entirely curable if caught early.
“Our goal is simple and clear: Punjab will catch cancer when it is curable, before it spreads. By bringing advanced, painless screening directly to people's doorsteps, we want citizens to shed hesitation and prioritize regular self-care,” the Health Minister added.
Assuring complete financial protection to patients, Dr Balbir Singh said that comprehensive cancer treatment is being provided absolutely free and cashless to eligible beneficiaries under the state's flagship Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY).
Under the 12-month joint initiative, the programme aims to screen 20,000 beneficiaries across Patiala district. This includes specialised breast cancer screening for 10,000 women using the cutting-edge 'iBreastExam' device—an innovative, non-invasive, and radiation-free examination tool designed for accurate clinical assessment. In addition, comprehensive clinical screening for oral cancer will be conducted for 10,000 men and women. The project also incorporates a robust referral mechanism to connect individuals showing suspicious findings to tertiary health facilities for confirmatory diagnosis and prompt treatment.
Commending the YouWeCan Foundation for joining hands with the Health Department, Dr Balbir Singh noted that the foundation has previously demonstrated commendable results under its 'Swasth Mahila, Swasth Bharat' campaign, having screened around 2,00,000 women nationwide, including approximately 14,000 women in Punjab's Moga district. Building upon that success, this targeted intervention in Patiala will foster community awareness, overcome screening hesitancy, and establish a replicable public-private partnership model for cancer prevention across Punjab.
On this occasion, Special Secretary Health-cum-MD National Health Mission (NHM) Sakshi Sawhney, MD Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) Gautam Jain, Assistant Director-cum-State Programme Officer (Non-Communicable Diseases) Dr Gagandeep Singh Grover, and Medical Officer Dr Ashu Gupta were present from the Department of Health. Representing the YouWeCan Foundation, Senior Advisor Arvind Nanda, Senior Program Manager Dr Bhavika, and Senior Manager (Monitoring & Evaluation) Dr Divya were also present during the signing ceremony.
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