Lok Sabha Question No. 3874 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-24
Subject: Shortage of Oncologist
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: PANKAJ CHOWDHARY

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3874 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24 th MARCH, 2017

## SHORTAGE OF ONCOLOGI ST

## 3874. SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY:

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

- (a) the number of cancer cases that has come to the cognizance of the Government in the country every year;
- (b) whether cancer patients are facing hardship  due  to  the  acute  shortage  of Oncologists and costly treatment and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has formulated any policy to provide consultancy of Oncologists to cancerpatients living in far flung areas of the country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether the Government proposes to make cancer treatment affordable and provide financial assistance to the cancer patients and if so, the details thereof?

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

- (a): As  per Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research's  Cancer  Registry  data  (2012 - 2014),  the estimated number incidence of cancer cases in the country for the years 2014 to 2016 are below:
- (b)to (d): Such data regarding cancer patients is not maintained centrally. However, the of treatment of Cancer depends on various factors including, inter alia, the stage of type and site of cancer, type of treatment etc.

| Year                             |    2014 |    2015 |    2016 |
|----------------------------------|---------|---------|---------|
| Estimated number of Cancer Cases | 1328229 | 1388397 | 1451417 |

While  doctors with  D.  M.  (Medical  Oncology),  M.Ch  (Surgical  Oncology)  and  M.D. (Radiation Oncology) treat Cancer patients in higher level tertiary care hospitals, Canc being  treated  in  hospitals  by  other  Doctors  such  as  General  Surgeons,  Gynecologists, Surgeons etc., depending on the type and site of Cancer. In fact, Cancer is being diagno treated at various levels in the Government health care system.

To increase the number of seats in Super speciality course in Medical Oncology, Sur Onco logy, Anesthesiology and broad speciality course in Radiotherapy, the ratio of numb Post - Graduate (PG) teachers to the number of students to be admitted has been now increase 1:3 for a Professor subject to a maximum of 6 PG seats per unit per acad emic year. Further the ratio of teachers to students has been revised from 1:1 to 1:2 for all MD/MS discipline qualification has been recognized for appointment as faculty to take care of shortage of

- (e): The treatment of Ca ncer in many of State and Central Government institutions is 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 accessible Some of the steps taken by Central Government are as follows:
- I. Implementation  of  National  Programme  for  Prevention  and  Control  of  Cancer,  Diabete Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) under NHM for up to district level activit Further, the guidelines for p opulation level screening of common cancer viz. Cervix, Breast and Oral have been released to the State Governments for implementation.
- II. To enhance the facilities for tertiary care of cancer, the Central Government is imple Tertiary Care Cancer Cen tre Scheme to support the setting up of State Cancer Institutes (S and Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCC) in different parts of the country. 13 TCCCs an SCIs have been approved till date.
- 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 settin National  Cancer  Institute  (NCI),  Jhajjar  under  aegis  of  AIIMS,  New  Delhi  h as  been approved.
- V. The Government is providing financial assistance to patients living below poverty li life threatening diseases under the schemes such as Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN), Hea Minister's Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF), State Illness Ass istance Fund (SIAF) and Health Minister's Discretionary Grant (HMDG).
- VI. Affordable  Medicines  and  Reliable  Implants  for  Treatment  (AMRIT)  outlets  have  bee opened  at  41  Institutions/Hospitals  with  an  objective  to  make  available  Cancer Cardiovascular  Dise ases  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. 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 con drugs used for the treatment of Cancer for which ceiling prices have been fixed.