Lok Sabha Question No. 1209 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-22
Subject: Expensive Cancer Medicines
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: RAMCHARAN BOHARA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUE STION NO. 1209 TO BE ANSWERED ON   22ND  DECEMBER, 2017

## EXPENSIVE CANCER MED ICINES

## 1209. SHRI RAM CHARAN BOHRA:

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

- (a) whether cancer treatment and cancer medicines are out of reach of large number of pat the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and
- (c)the details of the steps taken by the Government to provide free treatment for cancer or treatments at affordable rates in all the hospitals in the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE ( SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL )

- (a) to (c): The cost of treatment of Cancer depends on various factors including, inter al stage of diagnosis, type and site of cancer, type of treatment etc.

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

- (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  incl awareness gener ation for Cancer prevention, screening, early detection and referral appropriate  level  institution  for  treatment.  For  Cancer,  the  focus  is  on  three namely breast, cervical and oral.

Contd……….

(ii) Population based screening of common NCD s, hypertension and cancers (Oral, Breast  and  Cervical  cancer)  has  also  been  initiated  under  National  Health  Mis (NHM).  Key  components  of  population  based  screening  of  NCDs  include  community based risk assessment, screening, referral, and follow up of all individuals of 30 years and above for common NCDs (hypertension, diabetes, oral cancer, breast cancer and cervi cancer). The initiative will help in early diagnosis and will generate awareness factors of NCDs.

(iii) 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  St Cancer Institutes (SCI) and Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCC) in different parts country.

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

( v)   Setting up of National Cancer Institute (NCI) at Jhajjar (Haryana) and 2nd c of Chittaranjan National C ancer Institute, Kolkata has been approved.

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

(vi i )  Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) outlets hav been opened at 107 Institutions/Hospitals with an objective to make av ailable Cancer and Cardiovascular  Diseases  drugs  and  implants  at  discounted  prices  to  the  patients Aushadhi stores are set up by Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide generic drug affordable prices.

(vii i )  The list of medicines specified in t he National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) which are included in the First Schedule of Drug Pricing Control Order (DPCO), 20 also contain drugs used for the treatment of Cancer for which ceiling prices have fixed.

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