Three Years After Construction, Key Equipment Still Awaited
Rohtak: A state-of-the-art cancer diagnostics and radiotherapy facility at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak (PGIMS) has remained non-operational for nearly three years despite the completion of its infrastructure. The delay is attributed to the non-procurement of critical medical equipment and the absence of fresh financial approvals from the government.
Over Rs 100 Crore Spent on Infrastructure
The newly constructed buildings, developed at a cost exceeding Rs 100 crore, including Rs 27.98 crore for two dedicated blocks, were designed to house advanced cancer treatment technologies. These include PET scans, bone scans, bone marrow transplant facilities, linear accelerators (LINAC), CyberKnife systems and other nuclear medicine diagnostics.
Additional Funds Awaiting Approval
The project, which received administrative approval on August 30, 2019, and began construction on June 8, 2021, now requires further financial clearance. As per reports, an additional Rs 36.81 crore is pending government approval for full operationalisation. This includes costs related to GST revisions, consultancy charges to HLL, installation of an electrical substation and DG set, procurement of a LINAC machine, a CT simulator, and contingency expenses. However, no major equipment has been procured so far.
Advanced Treatment Services Planned
Once functional, the facility is expected to offer high-end nuclear medicine diagnostics and cutting-edge radiotherapy services. These include whole-body PET scans, bone scans, radioiodine scans, strontium therapy and advanced radiotherapy modalities such as IGRT, IMRT and SBRT. Radioactive iodine therapy for thyroid disorders is also part of the proposed services, which are currently available primarily in private centres at significantly higher costs.
Patients Forced to Seek Costly Private Care
In the absence of these services at PGIMS, patients from Rohtak and nearby districts are compelled to travel to private hospitals in Delhi and Gurugram. This often results in delayed treatment and heavy out-of-pocket expenditure, particularly affecting economically weaker sections.
Voices of Patients and Public Representatives
Several patients have expressed concern over the delay. A cancer patient from Dhanana village reported undergoing expensive diagnostic tests in Delhi despite visiting PGIMS for weeks. Another patient from Matanhail village said medicines had to be purchased externally even after surgery. Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda criticised the delay, stating that public infrastructure built at huge cost was lying unused, raising questions about the government’s healthcare priorities.
Government Response and Procurement Status
PGIMS Director Dr Suresh Kumar Singhal stated that meetings had been held with the government and a budget demand of around Rs 60 crore had been placed, with hopes of fund release in the first half of 2026. Haryana Health Minister Arti Rao said the buildings were handed over in March 2025 and that the LINAC machine and CT simulator were under procurement through CSR funds from ONGC, while a SPECT CT machine was being processed through the Haryana Medical Services Corporation.
Long Legacy of Cancer Care at PGIMS
The cancer department at PGIMS Rohtak was originally established in December 1977 and inaugurated by then-Governor Haricharan Singh Brar, with expansion foundations laid in 1988 by former Chief Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal. Once the new facility becomes operational, it is expected to significantly reduce dependence on private hospitals, lower treatment costs and improve timely access to advanced cancer care for patients across the region.
