Question : Cancer Patients

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) the number of patients found suffering from cancer during the last three years, year-wise;

(b) the percentage of cancer patients, who received complete treatment of cancer during the said period;

(c) the number of deaths reported due to cancer during the said period and the steps being taken by the Government to ensure complete treatment for cancer patients;

(d) whether the Government has taken note of EMI scheme of any company, which not only ensures regular treatment of cancer but also bears the high cost of medicines;

(e) if so, whether the Government proposes to adopt such scheme for the benefit of cancer patients and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the other steps taken and funds allocated to check cancer cases State/ UT-wise?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) to (c): As per Indian Council of Medical Research’s cancer registry data; the estimated number of incidence and mortality of cancer cases in the country during 2014-2016 is as below:
Table 1
Year 2014 2015 2016
Estimated incidence of cancer cases 1328229 1388397 1451417

Table 2
Year 2014 2015 2016
Estimated mortality of cancer cases 670541 701007 732921

Cancer is being diagnosed and treated at various levels in the Government health care system. The data regarding percentage of cancer patient who received complete treatment is not maintained centrally.

(d) to (f): There are some news reports about EMI scheme of some private company for cancer drugs.

Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), a centrally sponsored scheme provides health insurance coverage to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and including other 11 categories of Unorganized Workers (UOWs) who are enrolled under the scheme.

Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) outlets have been opened at 111 Institutions/Hospitals with an objective to make available Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases drugs and implants at discounted prices to the patients. Jan Aushadhi stores are set up by Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide generic drugs at affordable prices.

The list of medicines specified in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) which are included in the First Schedule of Drug Pricing Control Order (DPCO), 2013 also contain drugs used for the treatment of Cancer for which ceiling prices have been fixed.

The treatment of Cancer in many of State and Centre Government institutions is free for BPL patients and subsidized for others. The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments to prevent and control cancer and to provide affordable and accruable care. Some of the steps taken by Central Government are as follows:

I. The objectives of National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) being implemented under National Health Mission (NHM) for interventions upto the district level includes awareness generation for Cancer prevention, screening, early detection and referral to an appropriate level institution for treatment. For Cancer, the focus is on three Cancer namely breast, cervical and oral.

II. To enhance the facilities for tertiary care of cancer, the Central Government is implementing Tertiary Care Cancer Centre Scheme to support the setting up of State Cancer Institutes (SCI) and Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCC) in different parts of the country. The details of funds released under the scheme so far, State/UT-wise is at Annexure.

III. Oncology in its various aspects has focus in case of new AIIMS and many upgraded institutions under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY).

IV. Setting up of National Cancer Institute (NCI) at Jhajjar (Haryana) and 2nd campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata and has been approved.

V. The Government is providing financial assistance to patients living below poverty line for life threatening diseases under the schemes such as Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN), Health Minister’s Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF), State Illness Assistance Fund (SIAF) and Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG).