Govt committed to improving cancer care, treatment accessibility: Prataprao Jadhav

New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) The government is committed to improving care and treatment accessibility for patients with cancer and has been undertaking various measures for the treatment and prevention of cancer in India, said Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav.

In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Minister said the government has been strengthening the tertiary cancer care facilities scheme.

“Under this initiative, 19 State Cancer Institutes (SCIs) and 20 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCCs) have been approved to provide advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities,” Jadhav said.

To enhance cancer care services in various rural regions, the centre recently established the National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, Haryana, and the second campus of the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in Kolkata. In addition, cancer treatment facilities have been approved in all 22 new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), which will offer comprehensive diagnostic, medical, and surgical services.

“The government ensures that treatment in these hospitals is either free or highly subsidized for the poor and needy, making essential healthcare accessible to all,” the MoS said.

Further, cancer treatment is also covered under the Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PMJAY), which provides up to Rs 5 lakh per family annually for secondary and tertiary care. This scheme benefits approximately 55 crore people (12.37 crore families) from the bottom 40 per cent of the population, Jadhav said.

Recently, the PM-JAY was extended to include health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 and above, regardless of income.

“The scheme includes over 200 packages encompassing more than 500 procedures related to medical oncology, surgical oncology, radiation oncology, and palliative medicine within the National Health Benefits Package (HBP),” Jadhav said.

To further support cancer treatment, the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) has been launched to establish dedicated outlets known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJKs).

“A total of 15,057 PMBJKs have been opened across the country (till February), providing quality generic medicines at affordable prices,” the Minister said.

The scheme includes 2,047 types of medicines and 300 surgical devices, with 87 products specifically available for cancer treatment. Another initiative is the Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT), which aims to provide affordable medicines for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and other health conditions.

“There are 222 AMRIT pharmacies across 29 States and Union Territories (till January), offering over 6,500 drugs, including those for cancer, at discounts of up to 50 per cent off market rates,” Jadhav said.

The Comprehensive Primary Health Care via Ayushman Arogya Mandir is also being set up to boost cancer prevention. These promote wellness activities and targeted communication at the community level.

–IANS

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