Cancer Screening and Testing
5 Dariya News
New Delhi 08-Jul-2014
Regarding the measures taken by Government to establish more screening and testing facilities for identifying patients suffering from cancer and for their subsequent treatments in various States/Union Territories in the country, Government of India had launched a comprehensive National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke (NPCDCS) in 2010 covering 100 districts in 21 States with focus on 3 sites namely breast, cervical and oral cancer. Guidelines for screening of Cancer have been provided to States under NPCDCS.
From 2013-14 onwards, interventions under NPCDCS for prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, which can be taken up upto District level, have been brought under the umbrella of National Health Mission. In addition, the Government has recently approved a scheme for enhancing the Tertiary Care Cancer facilities in the country. Under this scheme (Tertiary component of NPCDCS), Government of India will assist 20 State Cancer Institutes (SCI) and 50 Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCC) in different parts of the country. The maximum assistance inclusive of State Share for SCI is Rs.120 crores and for TCCC is Rs.45 crores. The Central and State share will be in the ratio 75:25, and for North East and Hill States this ratio would be 90:10.
The Government of India also provides treatment of cancer through Central Government Hospitals/Institutions in different parts of the country such as All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Safdarjung Hospital, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, PGIMER Chandigrh, JIPMER Puducherry, Chittranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata etc. Oncology in its various aspects has focus in case of new AIIMS and many upgraded institutions under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY). The proposal of setting up of National Cancer Institute at Jhajjar and development of 2nd campus of Chittranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata has also been approved.
Moreover, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) initiated the National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) in 1982 and since 2011, the Coordination Unit of NCRP has evolved into a permanent ICMR institute – National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research in Bengaluru. An amount of Rs.42.32 crores has been allocated under the strengthening of tertiary cancer care facilities scheme of NPCDCS for implementation of hospital based registries in 27 erstwhile Regional Cancer Centres.
The Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF) within the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi has been set up in 2009 wherein 27 Regional Cancer Centres (RCCs) are provided with revolving funds to provide immediate financial assistance upto Rs.1,00,000/- to BPL cancer patients. An amount of Rs.440 lakhs was released to various RCCs during 2013-14 under Health Minister’s Cancer Patients Fund for treatment of BPL cancer patients. While Health is a State subject, the Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments for improving healthcare including prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. To supplement the efforts of the State Governments, Rs.341.66 lakh has been released for establishment of State Palliative Care Cell and carrying out Palliative Care activities during the financial year 2013-14 under National Programme for Palliative Care. There is no provision to support Non-profit organizations under the programme. The Health Minister was replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha here today.