The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated KLE Cancer Hospital at Belagavi, Karnataka today (January 3, 2025). Speaking on the occasion, the President said that according to a global study, cancer is a leading cause of death in the world.
In 2022, there were an estimated 20 million new cancer cases and 9.7 million deaths worldwide. In India, the incidence of cancer is about 100 patients for every one lakh people. As per a study done by ICMR, cancer incidence in India is estimated to increase by about 13 percent in 2025 as compared to 2020.
The President emphasised that it is the duty of healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive care, which addresses the physical and psychological needs of the cancer patients. She said that every word of sympathy and compassion that a doctor utters has the power to change the life of his patient for better.
The President said that there is need to spread more and more awareness regarding the causes, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. We come across many such cases where either due to ignorance of the patient and family or due to financial constraints, the diagnosis and treatment of diseases are delayed.
In case of cancer, this can prove fatal. She said that the fight against diseases such as cancer is a collective effort. She urged all to work together to create a healthcare system that is patient-centric and equitable, along with being world-class.
The President said that we have seen that in some families, the health of boys is given more importance than that of girls. This different treatment is also seen later with respect to men and women. Many a time, the women of a family do not get timely diagnosis and treatment for their health issues.
She stated that any such delay, especially in case of cancer could be critical. She urged every household to encourage women to share their problems. She said that every member of the family and society as a whole needs to take the health of women more seriously and contribute pro-actively in taking care of them and facilitating appropriate timely treatment for them.