ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) to (d): While, Public Health is a State subject, the Central Government is implementing the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), under National Health Mission (NHM) for interventions upto the district level, to support the State Governments. The objectives of the programme include awareness generation for Cancer prevention, screening, early detection and referral to an appropriate level institution for treatment. For Cancer the focus is on three types of Cancer namely breast, cervical and oral Cancer. As informed by the State Governments, 1880 NCD Clinics at Community Health, 298 District NCD Cells, 88 CCU and 64 Day Care Centres have been set up under the programme. Operational guidelines have been released for prevention, control and screening of Diabetes, Hypertension and common Cancers (Cervix, Breast and Oral), to the States for implementation.
As per Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Cancer Registry data, there has been an increase in the estimated incidence and mortality due to cancer in the country. The estimates of incidence and mortality of cancer patients in India during the last three years and current year, State/UT wise are at Annexure I & II.
Cancer is a multi factorial disease, the risk factors of which inter alia include ageing population, unhealthy life styles, use of tobacco and tobacco products, unhealthy diet & air pollution.
Public Health is a State subject and the information regarding instances, if any, of cancer patients living Below Poverty Line (BPL) being denied cancer treatment by private sector hospitals in the country is not maintained centrally.
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. Some of the steps taken by Central Government are as follows:
I. Implementation of NPCDCS upto district hospital level. Further, the guidelines for population level screening of common cancer viz. Cervix, Breast and Oral have been released to the State Government for implementation.
II. To enhance the facilities for tertiary care of cancer, the Central Government is implementing a Tertiary Care for Cancer Scheme to support the setting up of State Cancer Institutes (SCI) and Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCC) in different parts of the country. The proposals for 9 SCIs and 8 TCCCs have been approved and funds have been released.
III. Supporting Cancer care under new AIIMS and State Government Medical Colleges being upgraded under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY).
IV. Setting up of 2nd campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata and National Cancer Institute (NCI) as part of second campus of AIIMS, New Delhi 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).
VI. Seven Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) outlets have been opened at Central Government institutions with an objective to make available Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases drugs and implants at discounted prices to the patients. Opening of such outlets at eight other Central Government Institutions has been approved.
VII. 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.
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