Three Years After Completion, Key Equipment Yet to Arrive
Rohtak: A modern cancer diagnostics and radiotherapy facility at Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak (PGIMS) has remained non-operational for the past three years despite the completion of infrastructure. The delay is primarily due to the non-procurement of critical medical equipment and pending financial approvals from the government.
Over Rs 100 Crore Investment in Infrastructure
More than Rs 100 crore has already been spent on construction and initial equipment planning, including Rs 27.98 crore for two newly constructed buildings. These blocks were designed to house advanced cancer care technologies such as PET scans, bone scans, bone marrow transplant facilities, linear accelerators (LINAC), CyberKnife systems and other nuclear medicine diagnostics.
Project Timeline and Pending Approvals
The project received administrative approval on August 30, 2019, with construction beginning on June 8, 2021. While machines worth nearly Rs 30 crore were planned for the first building and Rs 40–50 crore for the second, documents indicate that an additional Rs 36.81 crore is required for full operationalisation. This includes funds for GST revisions, consultancy charges to HLL, installation of an electrical substation and DG set, procurement of a LINAC machine, CT simulator and contingency expenses. However, no major equipment has been procured so far.
Advanced Services Planned at the Facility
Once functional, the centre is expected to provide high-end nuclear medicine diagnostics and advanced radiotherapy services. These include whole-body PET scans, bone scans, radioiodine scans, strontium therapy and radiotherapy techniques such as IGRT, IMRT and SBRT. Radioactive iodine therapy for thyroid disorders is also proposed, offering services that are currently available mostly in private hospitals at significantly higher costs.
Patients Forced to Travel Outside District
In the absence of these services, patients from Rohtak and surrounding districts are compelled to seek treatment in private hospitals in Delhi and Gurugram. This often leads to delayed diagnosis and increased out-of-pocket expenditure, placing a heavy burden on economically weaker families.
Concerns Raised by Patients and MP
Several patients have expressed distress over the delay. A cancer patient from Dhanana village reported having to undergo costly diagnostic tests in Delhi despite repeated visits to PGIMS. 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 infrastructure built with public funds was lying unused and questioning the government’s commitment to public healthcare.
Government’s Response on Procurement Status
PGIMS Director Dr Suresh Kumar Singhal said that two meetings had been held with the government and a budget demand of around Rs 60 crore had been submitted, with hopes of fund release in early 2026. Haryana Health Minister Arti Rao stated that the buildings were handed over in March 2025 and that key equipment, including the LINAC machine and CT simulator, is being procured through CSR funds from ONGC, while the SPECT CT machine is under process via the Haryana Medical Services Corporation.
Longstanding Legacy of Cancer Care
The cancer department at PGIMS Rohtak was originally established in December 1977 and inaugurated by former Governor Haricharan Singh Brar, with expansion foundations laid in 1988 by former Chief Minister Chaudhary Devi Lal. Once operational, the new facility is expected to significantly reduce dependence on private hospitals, lower treatment costs and improve access to timely, affordable cancer care for patients across the region.
