ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)
(a) & (b): As per a study based on the list prices, there is large difference in median retail prices of 23 cancer drugs across seven countries under study. The study identified highest retail price in the United States of America and the lowest in India and South Africa.
Many of the Cancer drugs are costly. However, First Schedule of Drug Pricing Control Order (DPCO), 2013 also contains drugs used for the treatment of Cancer for which ceiling prices have been fixed.
(c) to (e): The cost of treatment of Cancer depends on various factors including, inter alia, the stage of diagnosis, type and site of cancer and type of treatment.
Contd…….
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The treatment of Cancer in many of State and Central 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 accessible care. Some of the steps taken by the 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.
(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 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) and Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG).
(vi) Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) Deendayal outlets have been opened at 146 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.
(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.
(viii) Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY) is being implemented in coordination with the State Governments providing a coverage of Rs. 5,00,000/- to over more than 10 crore beneficiary families, giving cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service in (both public and private) empanelled hospitals across India. More than 1350 packages have been finalized by an expert committee headed by Director General Health Services and peer reviewed by NITI Aayog. The treatment of cancer is also included under PMJAY.
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