Lok Sabha Question No. 396 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-03
Subject: Terminal Diseases
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: BHARAT SINGH, SANJAY(KAKA) RAMCHANDRA PATIL, MANSHANKAR NINAMA, SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNPURIA, GOWDAR MALLIKARJUNAPPA SIDDESHWARA, SANKAR PRASAD DATTA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 396 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03 RD FEBRUARY , 201 7

## TERMINAL DISEASES

## 396. SHRI BHARAT SINGH:

SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL:

SHRI MANSHANKAR NINAMA:

SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH JAUNAPURIA:

SHRI G.M. SIDDESHWARA:

SHRI SANKAR PRASAD DATTA:

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

- (a) whether the number of patients suffering from terminal diseases like cancer has increased during the last few years;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor and necessary measures taken by the Government to check the said trend;
- (c) whether the Government is taking any steps to increase the number of hospitals or to increase the number of beds in the existing hospitals and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to bring down the excessive expense of the treatment of serious diseases like cancer or to reduce the prices of medicines and if so, the details the reof?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

(SHRI FAGGAN SINGH KULASTE)

- (a): Terminal diseases include a wide range of different illnesses. Based on the data pr by National Cancer Registry Programme of Indian Council of Medical Research, the estimated number of cancer patients has increased during the last few years.
- (b) to (d): Cancer  is  a  multifactorial  disease,  the  risk  factors  of  which,  inter - alia,  include ageing  population,  unhealthy  life  style s,  use  of  tabacco  products,  unhealthy  diet  and  air pollution.

The treatment of Cancer in many of State and Centre Government institutions is fre BPL patients and subsidized for others. The Central Government supplements the efforts o State  Gove rnments  to  prevent  and  control  cancer.  Some  of  the  steps  taken  by  Centr Government are as follows:

- I. Implementation of National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabete Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS) upto district hospital level. Further, the guidelines for population level screening of common cancer viz. Cervix, Breast and have been released to the State Governments for implementation.
- II. To  enhance  the  facilities  for  tertiary  care  of  cancer,  the  Ce ntral  Government  is implementing  a  Tertiary  Care  for  Cancer  Scheme  to  support  the  setting  up  of  St Cancer Institutes (SCI) and Tertiary Care Cancer Centres (TCCC) in different parts country.
- III. Supporting Cancer care under new AIIMS and State Gove rnment Medical Colleges being upgraded under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY).
- IV. Setting up of 2nd campus of Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute, Kolkata and Nat Cancer Institute (NCI), Jhajjar as part of second campus of AIIMS, New De lhi has 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 Health Minister's Cancer Patient Fund (HMCPF), State Illnes s Assistance Fund (SIAF) and Health Minister's Discretionary Grant (HMDG).
- VI. Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) outlets have bee opened  at  35  Institutions/Hospitals  with  an  objective  to  make  available  Cancer 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. 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), 20 also contain drugs used for the treatment of Cancer for which ceiling prices have fixed.