When 67-year-old Kulwant S. Dhaliwal traded the bustle of Britain’s textile markets for the quiet fields of Punjab, he carried a mission forged in personal tragedy. The former UK cloth merchant, now full-time humanitarian, was galvanized into action by the deaths of his mother and father-in-law from late-detected cancers. Nearly twenty years on, his World Cancer Care Society has become a lifeline for thousands of underprivileged patients across the state.
Retiring early from his successful business, Dhaliwal made Punjab his principal home, supervising a network of medical projects that span diagnosis, treatment and outreach. “My mother’s last days were haunted by regret,” he reflects. “I vowed to change the narrative around cancer here—so that others don’t lose precious time.” His first hospital, opened in Suchi Pind, Jalandhar, has been treating patients for over a decade. Subsequent facilities in Nanaksar (near Ludhiana) and the soon-to-be-completed hospital in Anandpur Sahib mark his commitment to expanding care closer to rural communities.
The NGO’s influence extends far beyond brick and mortar. In an ambitious effort to cover nearly every corner of Punjab, World Cancer Care Society organizes free diagnostic camps in almost 11,000 villages—bringing screening and early detection tools directly to doorsteps. Dhaliwal’s fleet of 18 mobile units is a veritable traveling clinic, equipped for mammography, ECGs, diabetes and blood-pressure tests, as well as basic eye examinations. This year alone, more than 100,000 villagers have undergone vision screenings at eye camps run from his Lohian hospital, many leaving with high-quality spectacles at no cost.
Major health drives in Mansa, Sangrur and Barnala, backed by corporate partners like Trident, have further broadened the reach, while outreach projects now stretch into neighboring Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. Patients at the diagnostic camps also benefit from Dhaliwal’s free medical langar—daily meals and medicines dispensed without charge—a tradition he likens to “nourishing body and spirit.”
Last month, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria publicly lauded Dhaliwal’s work, presenting him with a state honor for his unwavering service. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate,” the governor noted. “Through his dedication, Mr. Dhaliwal is giving our people both hope and health.”
Despite his global experiences, Dhaliwal has remained deeply rooted in his Moga heritage. A DAV College alumnus who spent his formative years in Jalandhar, he deliberately placed his largest hospital network near the city that shaped him. “This community nurtured me,” he says. “Now it’s my turn to give back.” As construction wraps up on the Anandpur Sahib facility later this year, Dhaliwal’s vision of accessible, early-intervention health care stands closer than ever to becoming reality—for Punjab’s villages and beyond.
